Way Back Into Love
by mrs-emmett-cullenx3
Summary: A year ago, Olivia Parker left Hogwarts without telling anybody, including her boyfriend Sirius Black, where she was going. Now she's back. Why did she leave in the first place, and can Sirius ever forgive her for what she did? JPLE, SBOC, RLOC. R&R!
1. Unexpected Returns

Chapter 1: Unexpected Returns

**J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, not me.**

**AN: So this is my new story. I'm really excited to start this since I love Sirius Black. Here's a small summary: Sirius Black and the rest of the marauders are starting their final year at Hogwarts. The war is raging around them, but they are safe at their school. Sirius is trying to get over his ex-girlfriend, Olivia Parker, who left the country a year ago without a word, when she returns to Hogwarts. Where did she go, and why didn't she tell him? Can he forgive her for what she did, or is it too little, too late?**

SPOV

"It's true," I said to Peter as the two of us sat in out compartment without the other half of the marauders. Remus and James were both in the prefect carriage. Remus was a prefect, while James was the head boy this year, so Peter and I were left by ourselves.

"I don't believe you," he said, staring at me with his beady little eyes. "There's no way that's true!"

"There's no way what's true?" James asked, walking into our compartment with Lily Evans, their hands clasped.

"It _is_ true!" he shouted, falling off his seat. James chuckled before he and Lily took a seat. Remus came in behind them.

"Calm down, Wormtail," James sighed. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal? This is a moment in history—James Potter and Lily Evans are going out," I said, grinning at him. He punched me in the shoulder.

"Shut up, Padfoot." He pretended to be pissed off, but he grinned back at me. He had been happy as a clam since the end of the summer when Lily Evans agreed to go out with him. She had finally said yes after two years of saying no.

Remus pulled out a book while the rest of us started talking.

"Can you believe we're 7th years now?" Lily asked, looking excited.

"Well, we have to decide what we're going to do once we leave Hogwarts," I reminded her.

"All I want to do is fight You-Know-Who," James said gallantly.

"You'd make a great Auror, baby," Lily said.

"Aww, don't you two make the perfect couple," I said, pretending to gag.

"Speaking of the perfect couple," Remus said, looking up from his book, "Have you heard from Olivia?" Everyone turned to look at me.

"Why would I have heard from her?" I asked angrily.

"She is your girlfriend," he said.

"Was," I corrected. "She _was_ my girlfriend. Girlfriends don't just leave the country without telling their boyfriends."

"Have you heard from her?" he asked again.

"No. I haven't spoken to her since the day before 6th year started."

***

"_Okay, open your eyes!" I said. Olivia opened her eyes and saw the box sitting in front of her._

"_What's this?" she asked, looking confused._

"_Happy six-month anniversary!" I said happily._

_She looked crushed. "I didn't get you anything!"_

"_It's okay," I said, putting a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I wanted you to have this anyways."_

_She lifted the lid off the small box and peered inside. She reached in and pulled out a silver chain with a heart charm on it. In the heart, there was a sparkling sapphire that shined when the light hit it._

"_It's beautiful!" she gasped. "I love it! Here, put it on me," she said, handing me the necklace. I stood behind her and clasped the chain around her smooth neck. Once I finished, I spun her chair around so she was facing me. Then, I lifted her up and sat her in the kitchen table._

"_I really like the necklace," she whispered in my ear, sliding her hands around my waist._

_I pressed my lips to hers and was about to pull back when she reached around my neck and pulled me on top of her._

_She ran her fingers through my hair as she kissed me. Her skin was so soft and smooth. I inhaled her scent as we were kissing—roses and strawberries. She picked her leg off the table and wrapped it around my waist. She stuck her tongue in my mouth, and I quickly returned the favor._

_We lied on the table, making out. I moved my hand from her back to her knee and started inching up her bare leg. Since it was summer, she was only wearing a skirt and a tank top. I slid my hand under her skirt as her body shivered. Things were just starting to heat up when we heard someone cough._

_We broke apart and looked in the corner. There stood James, my best friend, grinning at us._

"_I see you gave her the present," he said, stifling his laughter. I grabbed the box Olivia's necklace had been in and chucked it at James before I rolled off her and got off the table. Olivia fixed her shirt and smoothed her hair as she stood next to me._

"_Don't let Mom and Dad catch you doing that, or they won't be as keen to let you stay here," he warned. He turned to walk away, changed his mind, and turned back to me. "On second thought, don't let me catch you doing that where we eat. Disgusting!" Laughing, he walked down the hall of Potter Mansion before heading upstairs to his room._

_I turned back to Olivia. Instead of standing next to me, she was staring out the window in deep thought._

"_What's wrong?" I asked, coming up behind her._

"_Why are you so good to me, Sirius?" she asked._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Why are you such a good boyfriend? What did I do to deserve someone like you?" She turned to look at me and I saw there were tears in her eyes._

"_Sweetie, what's the matter?" I asked. Olivia was the strongest person I knew—she never cried._

"_I'm just so grateful I have you," she said, wiping away her tears. "I mean, no one has ever given me something like this before," she said, pointing to the necklace._

"_It's not a normal necklace," I said._

"_It's not?" she asked._

"_No. That stone will only be blue as long as I love you."_

"_What?" she asked, her eyes widening._

"_I love you." It was the first time I had ever said it to anyone and truly meant it. Olivia was the best thing about my life and I wanted her to know it. I expected her to be thrilled. I didn't expect her to burst into more tears._

"_Oh, Sirius, I'm so sorry!" she sobbed before running out of the house._

"_Did I do something wrong?"_

***

"She never told me she was leaving," I sighed once I finished my story. "I loved her, and she didn't even have the courtesy to send me a letter telling me where she went." I slumped in my seat and scowled.

"Tough break, mate," James said, his arm around Lily. "Well, on a good note, I saw Taya Clarke checking you out at King's Cross."

Lily nodded. "She told me she fancies you, Sirius. You should ask her out."

"Why would I ask her out?" I asked.

Remus, Peter, and James all sighed. "Padfoot, you haven't gone out with _anyone_ since Olivia left. As a matter of fact, you haven't talked to a single girl besides Lily and Leighton since she left,"

"That's not true!" I said, even though I knew it was. Lily and Leighton were Olivia's best friends, so I clung to them like a dementor clung to a miserable soul, hoping Olivia had contacted them and I could badger them for news about her. They hadn't heard from her.

"Maybe she had to move," Peter suggested. "I mean, lots of people are moving in this time. Maybe she had to go into hiding."

"Why wouldn't she have told me?" I asked.

"Because you wouldn't have let her go," James said, looking at me. James, my best friend, knew me so well. Sometimes, I swore he knew me better than I knew me.

He was right. I wouldn't have let her leave. I love her too much.

No, not love. _Loved_. As in the past. As in not anymore. I didn't love her anymore. How could I love her when she left me without even saying goodbye?

After she left my house, she didn't write me back to tell me what was the matter. She wasn't at King's Cross the next day.

When we got to Hogwarts, Dumbledore said she had decided to study abroad. What kind of girlfriend leaves the country without telling her boyfriend?

When I checked out her house over the winter holidays, it was deserted. Her entire family had just picked up and left. Maybe they had decided to go with her.

Why didn't she tell me where she was going? Why didn't she tell me what was wrong? Why didn't she tell me she loved me?

"You all should get changed," Ellie White said, sticking her head in our compartment. "We'll be there shortly." She left, followed by Aiden Wood, her steady boyfriend.

I sighed and pulled my robes out of my trunk. I pulled them on, and then sat back down, thinking about Olivia again.

***

"_Please?"_

"_No."_

"_Pretty please?"_

"_No."_

"_Pretty please with a cherry on top?"_

"_No! Black, why won't you just get it through your thick skull that I'm not interested?"_

"_Because I'm irresistible," I said, flexing my muscles at her._

_She glared at me. "You know, you think you're God's gift to women, but I know what you really are."_

"_Oh yeah? What's that?"_

"_A stuck up, arrogant, jerk who won't take no for an answer!" She huffed and threw her books in her bag, storming out of the library._

"_What was that all about?" James asked, taking a seat where Olivia had just been sitting._

"_She turned me down again," I sighed._

"_So ask her again."_

"_No. I give up."_

_James looked at me._

"_What?"_

"_Padfoot, she's you with boobs. I've never met anyone else who loves to prank as much as you."_

"_You're right. We're perfect for each other." James was right—Olivia Parker was exactly like me. She came from a family of Purebloods. She hated Slytherins, especially Severus "Snivellus" Snape. She loved pulling pranks. The one difference was that her parents weren't into the whole Pureblood mania like my family. Also, she never got into trouble. She could weasel her way out of any kind of punishment._

"_Just ask her again," James suggested._

"_Prongs, it isn't that easy. There's something different about her. It's like she's immune to my charms."_

"_Really?" he asked, his eyes getting that familiar gleam in his eyes. "I like a challenge…"_

"_Don't even think about it," I said, throwing my potions book at him. "She's mine, so hands off."_

"_Fine," James grumbled._

"_Besides, we all know you pine for Lily Evans, the Muggleborn princess of Gryffindor."_

_James threw my potions book back at me. I was about to say something to him when the door to the library opened and Olivia stormed back in. She marched over to my table and looked at me._

"_Can I help you?" I asked, giving her my best I-know-I'm hot look._

"_Okay, you win. You can take me to Hogsmeade, but no touching, no hand-holding, and no kissing!" She glared at me before leaving the library again._

"_Congratulations," James laughed. I threw the potions book at him again._

***

"Padfoot, move your ass," James called to me as the Hogwarts Express emptied. I looked around and saw I was the last one left in our compartment. I quickly got up and followed everyone out of the train.

Remus, Peter, and I got a carriage while James and Lily got one. I saw two girls join them—one with straight blonde hair and one with deep brown curly hair that reminded me instantly of Olivia.

_Get her out of your head, _I told myself. She's been gone for a year. If she hasn't contacted you by now, she never will.

The carriages headed up to the school. Moony, Wormtail, and I were sharing a carriage with a Hufflepuff named Peter Bell. He was in our year, but I thought he was a bit dim.

We finally made it to the castle. Moony, Wormtail, and I met up with Prongs and Lily, and the five of us headed into the Great Hall. When Lily met my eyes, she smiled at James, like they were sharing some kind of secret.

"Okay, what's going on?" I asked them.

"Nothing," James lied. He always was a horrible liar.

"James, tell me the truth."

"You'll find out soon enough," he said before taking a seat at the table with Lily. Puzzled, I sat down next to him, trying to get him to tell me whatever the big secret was, but he wouldn't say a word.

"Padfoot, would you shut it?" he finally said, annoyed.

I pretended to be hurt as we waited for the sorting to begin. Professor McGonagall led the new first years in as I looked them over.

The sorting began. I cheered for every new Gryffindor. When the first Slytherin was called, I glanced over at their table and spotted my younger brother, Regulus, sitting with our cousin, Narcissa Black. They both spotted me and shot a glare in my direction.

I sighed and turned back to my friends. James was already talking about our first prank of the year. James lived for pranks, and being Head Boy obviously hadn't cured him of that.

Once all the kids had been sorted, Professor Dumbledore stood up.

"I can tell you are all hungry, so I will only say a few words: Dig in!" The plates in front of us filled with food and I grabbed one of everything and started shoving it in my mouth.

Lily looked at me disgustedly.

"What?" I asked with my mouth full.

"Nothing," she said, daintily nibbling on a sandwich. I shrugged my shoulders and resumed devouring my dinner.

Once I was full, I relaxed. I still couldn't believe Olivia had been gone a full year.

"Cheer up, Padfoot," James said, throwing a roll at me. "There are plenty of girls to pick from. You just need to move on and reclaim your title as Hogwarts playboy before Snivellus takes the title from you.

My eyes narrowed into slits. "You honestly think old Snivelly could take my title away? What girl would even _talk_ to him, let alone date him?"

Lily cleared her throat and I looked at her. I saw she was glaring at me.

"Oh, sorry Lils. I forgot you two used to be friends. I mean, what _other_ girl would talk to him?"

She shook her head as I scoped the Gryffindor table for eligible girls. I saw Taya Clarke wink at me and I flashed her my biggest grin. I saw her blush and turn back to her friends. I could already tell this was going to be a good year.

Once all the plates were cleared, Dumbledore stood up again and cleared his throat. "I know you all want to get to your dormitories, but I have a few start of term announcements. First, I'd like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Hannah Ackerson."

The Great Hall broke into applause while I leaned next to me and whispered in James' ear. "I'm betting five months."

He turned and grinned at me. "You're on! The usual?"

I nodded. "The usual."

Every year, James and I had a bet on how long the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor would last. The loser would have to run into the Great Hall during breakfast and dance on the table. It was always the highlight of the year.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued. "Those wishing to try out for their house Quidditch team should submit their names to their heads of houses."

I zoned out as Dumbledore gave the other notices. Blah, blah, blah. I'd heard it all before. I looked over at Taya and winked at her. Her cheeks turned bright red as she tried to hide her smile. I grinned and leaned back against the table.

"And finally, I have an exciting announcement to make." I looked up and saw someone standing next to Dumbledore. I would have recognized her anywhere.

The long brown curly hair that went right above her boobs.

The soft, creamy skin that felt like feathers.

The wide brown eyes that were always lined with black liner.

The small pouty lips that you wanted to kiss.

The tiny body that was perfect in every way possible.

The mischievous expression on her face that meant she was planning something.

Olivia was back.

Olivia, who had haunted my thoughts and memories for a year, was back.

I heard murmuring in the Great Hall as everyone realized she was back. Dumbledore cleared his throat and everyone shut their mouths.

"After spending a year studying abroad, we are very pleased to welcome Olivia Parker back. She has decided to return to Hogwarts to finish her 7th year." He gave her a warm smile as she took a seat at the Gryffindor table. The Great Hall applauded lightly, but I just stared at her.

There went my best year ever. My ex-girlfriend was back at Hogwarts.

I was screwed.

**So there's the first chapter. I hope you like it! Please review and tell me what I can do better or what/who you'd like to see!**


	2. I'm Baaack

**I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT OLIVIA.**

Chapter 2: I'm Baaack

OPOV

"Olivia, wake up," someone said softly in my ear. I groaned, rolled over in my bed, and pulled the covers over my bed.

"Go away," I moaned.

"Olivia, you need to get up. The train leaves in an hour."

"I don't care," I said.

My mother sighed. "Olivia, you're going back, and that's final."

"But Mum—"

"Don't 'Mum' me, young lady. I don't care that you don't want to go. You have to finish your magical education. Now get up." She ripped the covers off me, so I was lying in my bed in just a thin tank top and short boxers. Thanks Mum. Thanks a lot.

Grumbling about unfair parents, I walked to the bathroom and hopped in the shower. I used my strawberry shampoo and strawberry body wash. I always smelled like I had just walked out of a strawberry patch. Once I was clean, I stepped out onto the cold tiles of the bathroom floor and grabbed my white fluffy towel. I wrapped it around my body and walked back into my room.

I opened the door to my closet and decided what to wear—even though I would change into my robes once I got on the Hogwarts Express. I decided on jeans with a white eyelet blouse. I combed my wet hair before towel drying it. I sprayed my rose-scented perfume on my neck and straightened my necklace. I checked in the mirror that the heart was still blue—it was. I applied a little bit of makeup before slipping on a pair of black flats and heading downstairs.

When I got downstairs, both my parents were sitting at the kitchen table, reading the _Daily Prophet_ and discussing something. They stopped talking once I entered the kitchen.

"What's going on?" I asked, grabbing a piece of toast from the table and putting some strawberry jam on it. My parents both had serious looks on their faces.

"Olivia, your mother and I have been talking," my dad started, "And we've been thinking about sending you back to Hogwarts with a little bit of protection."

"You mean like a more powerful wand or something?" I asked, taking a bite of toast.

"Not exactly," Dad answered. Just then, I noticed an unfamiliar man standing in the corner of the kitchen.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"This is Richard Williamson. He's an auror for the Ministry of Magic."

My eyes widened as I understood what my father meant by "protection."

"No!" I shouted, slamming my hand on the table. "I am _not_ going back to Hogwarts with a body guard! Do you know what people will say?"

"Olivia, it's for your own protection," my father said, trying to reason with me.

I wasn't having any of that. "Dad, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself! I do not need some government employee watching me like I'm a baby! Why do you have to do this to me?"

"It wasn't our choice," Mum said.

"What?"

"After last year, the Minister thinks it would be best if someone is watching you at all times, just in case."

"Mum…"

"Olivia, we just don't want anything happening to you, not after we spent all year protecting you."

"Dad, Hogwarts is the safest place I can go. I don't understand why I need someone with me."

"Olivia, the Minister thinks it's what's best, and if he believes that, so do I."

I sighed as I sunk into the chair at the table. I guess they were right. After all, they had given up their lives for a year to protect me. The least I could do was have a bodyguard with me to keep them sane. "Okay, I'll go along with it. I don't have to like it, but I'll let Williamson come to school with me."

My mother's face lit up as she swooped over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "You need to be on the train in 20 minutes!" she shrieked, looking at the clock. "Get going!" I got up and headed out to the front lawn with Richard Williamson, who was bringing my trunk with him.

"Are you licensed to apparate?" he asked me in a gruff voice? I nodded. "Okay, we're going to apparate right outside King's Cross, then walk through the barrier together. Do you understand?" I nodded again before pulling out my wand.

_King's Cross…King's Cross…King's Cross…_

I felt the squeezing sensation of apparating. When I opened my eyes, I was in the parking lot of King's Cross Station. Richard Williamson was standing next to me with no expression on his face. "Follow me," he said, pulling my trunk behind him. Without another word, I followed him through the station to the barrier. He took my arm and the two of us walked through the divider of platforms 9 and 10.

Once we had crossed through, I saw the familiar scarlet engine I had missed so much. Williamson walked on board with me and put my trunk in an empty compartment. He then took a seat and motioned for me to do the same. I sat on the opposite side of the compartment.

"You do understand why I am here, don't you?" he asked, boring into me with his green eyes.

"Of course I do," I sighed, looking out the window. I was watching all the students walk by when I saw _him_. He was just as good looking as he was a year ago, but he was taller now. He also looked more muscular. He was walking with James Potter, who was holding hands with—Lily Evans? Lily, one of my best friends, was dating James Potter? I would have to interrogate her about this when I saw her.

"Miss Parker, are you listening to me?" Williamson asked. I snapped my head away from the window to see Richard Williamson glowering at me.

"I'm sorry," I said insincerely. I didn't want this guy following me around at school. How was I supposed to restart my life if I had some six-foot muscular bodyguard watching my every move?

"Olivia, this is for your protection, not mine. If you'd rather I leave and let you fend for yourself, just give me the word and I'll go back to the Ministry, but I would advise you against it. I have permission to stop anyone who poses a threat to you at any means necessary."

"Really?" I asked.

He nodded. "You need to remember to stick to the story Dumbledore and the Minister decided on." Oh, right. I was supposed to have been studying abroad at Beauxbatons Academy, learning about the French culture. Dumbledore thought it was better if people thought I had been studying at another school rather than tell them the truth. The Minister agreed with him.

I didn't. How was I supposed to talk to my friends if I couldn't tell them the truth about where I had been for almost a full year? This was going to be an interesting term.

"Richard, if you're going to be following me around and protecting me, there're a few things we need to go over first." He looked at me curiously. "You can't come into the common room, my classes, or other places that I am. You have to wait outside for me—I don't need everyone knowing I have a bodyguard."

"Don't worry, Miss Parker. You won't even know I'm there."

"I won't?" I asked.

"I'll be disguised as a student."

"How are you going to do that?"

"This," he said, holding up a flask of liquid. "It's Polyjuice potion with hairs from a Muggle girl about your age. I have enough to keep brewing throughout the entire year."

I smiled at him before I leaned against the back of my seat and closed my eyes, drifting off into sleep.

***

"_Does anyone know what this potion is?" Professor Slughorn asked, pointing to a bubbling cauldron. I smelled the air, and whatever it was, it smelled fantastic. Lily's hand shot in the air, like usual. "Yes, Miss Evans?"_

"_It's Amortentia, the most powerful love potions in the world. It creates a powerful infatuation, causing the drinker to become obsessed with the other person."_

"_Good girl," he said, giving his favorite student a smile. _

"_The odor is gives off is distinct to each person, representing what they are attracted to."_

"_Wonderful, wonderful. 10 points for Gryffindor. Now, who wants to share with the class what they smell?" I looked over and saw James Potter and Sirius Black talking. "Well, boys," Slughorn said, turning his gaze on them, "Since you seem so eager to talk, why don't you share what you smell with the class?"_

_I saw James and Sirius turn slightly red, but they both stuck their noses in the air and sniffed. "I smell…coconut…and parchment…and some kind of flower," James said, looking lightly embarrassed. I knew why—anyone with half a brain knew he smelled Lily Evans._

_Sirius Black went next. "I smell…strawberries…some kind of flower…and fresh cut grass on a summer day."_

_My eyes became as round as dinner plates. Sirius Black smelled me. Why did he smell me? I was a tiny, awkward girl whose only redeeming quality was being friends with Lily Evans. I felt someone nudge me I looked next to me and saw Lily give me a knowing glance—she knew Sirius smelled me too._

"_Very interesting, boys," Slughorn commented before beginning the lesson. I sat there, not paying attention. Why would Sirius Black smell me? I was average looking, not pretty. I did okay in classes, but I wasn't brilliant like Lily. I was short and flat, not built like the other girls in my year. Why would he smell me?_

_Finally, class ended, with Lily having brewed the best potion, like always. The two of us made our way out of the room towards Transfiguration when someone bumped into me and knocked me off balance. I was about to fall onto the ground when someone caught me._

"_Thanks," I said, turning to see who it was._

_It was Sirius Black, standing there with his I'm-too-sexy-for-school look on his face. "It was no problem."_

_I rolled my eyes and spun around, heading towards class. If there was one thing I knew, it was this: I would never fall in love with Sirius Black._

***

"Miss Parker?" a voice called. I opened my eyes and saw a girl, about my age, with blonde hair staring at me.

"Who are you?" I screeched.

"It's me, Williamson."

"Oh. What do you want?" I said sleepily.

"We're going to be at Hogwarts soon. You should probably change into your uniform." I noticed he was already in one.

"Oh, thanks."

"I'll wait outside the compartment." He got up, opened the door, and waited for me to change. I pulled my skirt, shirt, tie, and sweater out of my bag and pulled them on. All my clothes, which had fit perfectly last year, hung on me like leaves on a weeping willow. I had lost too much weight this past year. I guess not having access to food will do that to you.

Once I was changed, I opened the door to let Williamson back in. I pulled on my socks and shoes while he went over safety procedures with me—again.

"Williamson, we've gone over these before!" I groaned. "It's not like I'm going to wander off in the corridors at night looking for danger, okay? I promise I'll be a good girl."

He sighed and rubbed his temples. "I know you think you'll be safe here, but with all the deaths and disappearances going on now, we can't be too sure. You have to make sure you're with people you trust at all times. Don't go wandering the castle at night with some boy just because you want to have a little fun, okay?"

I nodded and grabbed my cloak as the train pulled to a stop. I walked out onto the platform with Williamson, and the two of us headed to the carriages. We found one with two people and climbed in.

"Olivia?" a familiar voice asked. I looked up and saw we had chosen the carriage Lily and James were in. "Olivia! It's really you! You're back? I can't _believe_ it!"

I laughed as she threw her arms around me. "I forgot how exuberant you were," I said, hugging her back.

"Who's this?" she asked, pointing to Williamson.

"This is…Rebecca. Rebecca Willow. She's from Beauxbatons, and she wants to get a taste of British culture."

"Oh, that's interesting. How was Beauxbatons? Was it beautiful? Was it better than Hogwarts? Did you meet a lot of people?"

"Lils, I promise I'll answer all your questions later. I just need a moment to breathe."

"Oh, okay. Does Sirius know you're back?"

"No, and you better not tell him!"

"Olivia, he was your boyfriend. Why didn't you tell him you were leaving?"

"It's…complicated," I said. "I would have told you I was leaving, but I didn't have time."

"Huh?" James asked.

"I'll explain later. What about you two? Are you an item now or something?" I said, gesturing to their clasped hands.

Lily blushed and James grinned. "Yep. We've been dating since the summer."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" I said, hugging the two of them. "You guys are so cute together."

"Thanks, Olivia," Lily said, turning bright red. The carriage stopped and the four of us hopped out. Lily and James waved goodbye as "Rebecca" and I headed to Dumbledore's office.

We gave the Gargoyle the password (Lemon drops) and walked up the windy staircase. When we opened the door, Dumbledore was sitting in his chair behind his desk, reading the _Evening Prophet._

"Hello, sir," I greeted him.

"Miss Parker," he said, putting down the paper. "It is so good to see you again. May I assume this is Williamson, the auror?" he asked, gesturing to the girl standing next to me.

"You may," Williamson said in a high-pitched voice.

Dumbledore smiled. "Well, everything is all settled for your return. You will rejoin your house and dormitory for your final year. Williamson, we have a room for you. You will be accompanying Miss Parker to classes."

"Sir, don't you think this is—"

"If the Minister feels it is appropriate, then I agree with the Minister," he said.

"But sir, I'm a seventh year. I think I'm capable of looking out for myself."

"Miss Parker, I know you think all of these security measures are unnecessary, but remember what happened last year. Would you really like that to happen again?"

"No, sir," I said, remembering the fear I felt when I didn't know if I would survive the night.

"Good. Why don't we all head down to the Great Hall for the welcome feast. I'm sure your friends will all be glad to see you."

Dumbledore, "Rebecca," and I all headed downstairs. Rebecca and I sat at the front of the Gryffindor table during the sorting ceremony and feast. I wanted to sit with all my friends, but I didn't want to reveal myself before Dumbledore made the announcement. I occasionally glanced back at Lily, who was sitting with James, Sirius, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.

Finally, the food disappeared and Professor Dumbledore stood up. Everyone stopped speaking. "I know you all want to get to your dormitories, but I have a few start of term announcements. First, I'd like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Hannah Ackerson." I applauded lightly as the new professor stood up. She was small with black hair and green eyes. She looked terrified.

I glanced back at Sirius and saw him wink at someone. I followed his line of sight and saw Taya Clarke blushing. I checked my necklace and saw it was still blue. Why would he be interested in her when he still loved me?

"And finally, I have an exciting announcement to make," Dumbledore said, gesturing for me to join him. I stood up and stood next to Dumbledore. "After spending a year studying abroad, we are very pleased to welcome Olivia Parker back. She has decided to return to Hogwarts to finish her 7th year." Everyone at the Gryffindor table applauded as I took a seat. I glanced back at Sirius, expecting to see him smiling and looking happy.

I didn't expect what I saw. First there was shock and confusion, followed by anger and hurt. He was angry I was back. He was hurt I didn't tell him I was leaving or coming back. He was furious at me.

"We also have a new student joining us for the year. Please join me in welcoming Rebecca Willow of Beauxbatons Academy!" Everyone applauded for Williamson's alter ego. I just sat at the table with my head in my hands.

Things were not working out how I hoped they would.

Once the feast was over, Rebecca and I started walking towards Gryffindor tower when I heard a voice behind me.

"Olivia!" I spun and saw Peter Pettigrew, one of Sirius's best friends, standing behind me. He didn't look happy to see me. It was probably because Peter and I never got along, no matter how hard I tried to be nice. I guess he just didn't like me.

"Hi, Peter," I said. Rebecca stood next to me. "Could we have a minute?" I asked "her." Rebecca looked at me.

"I don't know if the Minister would see this as safe."

"Please? It will only take a minute."

Rebecca sighed. "All right. I'll be right around the corner." Rebecca left, leaving me alone with Peter Pettigrew.

"Is there something I can do for you, Peter?"

"Yeah. Stay away from Sirius."

"Excuse me?" I asked, slightly taken aback. As long as I had known Sirius Black, his relationships had been his own business. No one, not even James Potter, ever got involved in them. Why did Peter care if I got back together with Sirius?

"You heard me. Stay away from him."

"I don't see how this is any of your business," I said, a little put off.

"Olivia, you listen to me. Sirius was crushed when you left last year. He's finally getting over you now, and I don't want you to pull him back in and hurt him all over again. Stay away from him, or you'll be sorry."

"I'll be sorry?" I asked, suppressing a laugh. Peter didn't scare me—he was always having James and Sirius defend him.

"Don't mess with me," he snarled before stomping away. I looked after him, puzzled, as Rebecca joined me.

"Ready to head to your dorm?" 'she' asked. I nodded, and the two of us made our way up to Gryffindor tower. When we got there, I saw Lily and James sitting together by the fire while Sirius was sitting by himself in his favorite chair. I walked over to him.

"Sirius?" I asked quietly. He turned and looked up at me. I saw the same expression he had when I stood next to Dumbledore.

"Go away."

"Sirius, we need to talk." I murmured.

"No, we don't. You left, after I told you I loved you. I get it—you freaked out and needed a year away. I understand. You're back, and I don't want anything to do with you. Why don't you just leave me the hell alone." He got up and stomped upstairs to his dorm.

I looked after him, a crushed look on my face. He didn't know why I left, and he didn't care.

"Miss Parker," Rebecca said quietly, "You know the rules. You can't tell anyone, especially Mr. Black, where you really were." I loved at "her" and nodded before heading upstairs. Once I was up there, I fell onto my bed, sobbing until I fell asleep.


	3. Scars

Chapter 3: Scars

SPOV

God, why did she have to come back? This was going to be my best year ever, and now it was going to suck since Olivia was back at Hogwarts.

I was sitting in the common room with everyone after the feast, watching Prongs and Lily sitting by the fire. They really were a cute couple—I don't know why it took them so long to get together. Moony was sitting in the corner, reading a book. Wormtail took a seat next to me, grinning.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked him.

"Nothing."

I shrugged my shoulders and sunk back into my seat, looking around the room. Luckily, I didn't see Olivia or that new girl, Rebecca, anywhere. I turned to say something to Wormtail, but he had gotten up to go talk to Remus.

"Sirius?" a quiet voice asked. I'd know her voice anywhere. I looked up at her, and the hurt filled my body again.

"Go away," I said, looking away.

"Sirius, we need to talk."

Couldn't I have one day alone before being forced to talk to her? What did we even need to talk about—she deserted me without a word and left me to pick up the pieces of my broken heart. I told her I loved her—obviously, she hadn't felt the same way. "No, we don't. You left, after I told you I loved you. I get it—you freaked out and needed a year away. I understand. You're back, and I don't want anything to do with you. Why don't you just leave me the hell alone," I snapped at her. I got up from my chair and stormed upstairs to my dorm, both hoping and fearing she would follow me.

Before I closed the door, I looked back at her and saw the crushed look on her face. Rebecca, the new girl, was saying something to her. She ran up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

I sunk onto my bed in the room and sighed. Good job, Padfoot. You made her cry. There's no way she'd ever get back with me after my dick move back in the common room.

Wait, I didn't want to get back with her. I wanted to move on. Speaking of which, I bet Taya was still in the common room…

I got up and walked back down. Sure enough, Taya was sitting with Annie Thompson on the ground, looking at some picture. I sighed and approached her. "Taya?"

Both girls looked at me. When she saw it was me, Taya started blushing furiously and giggling. I sighed—this was the problem of dealing with silly, immature girls.

"Can I talk to you?" She nodded and stood up. We walked over to a corner in the room. She looked at me, trying to keep from blushing. I smiled. "Listen, I like you. A lot. You're pretty, funny, and nice. I'd like to hand out with you more. I mean, if you're interested."

Taya looked at me for a minute before throwing her arms around my neck and kissing me on the lips. I was shocked for a minute, before I responded by wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her closer to me. I heard someone whistle, and the two of us broke apart.

James was still sitting with Lily, but he was looking at me, grinning from ear to ear. Lily didn't look happy—probably because she wanted me to get back together with Olivia. I winked at him before going back and kissing Taya again.

***

"_Sirius, stop being a wimp and follow me," Olivia said, pulling me out of the portrait hole. It was after 11, and we both knew I would be expelled if I was caught out of bed again._

"_Olivia, you know I can't be caught again. Where are we going, anyways?"_

"_Just trust me, okay?" she said, her brown eyes staring at me. How could I say no to her? I kissed her gently on the lips and followed her through the corridors._

_Luckily, we didn't run into a single teacher, ghost, or prefect._

"_Wow, no one's out tonight," I commented. She stifled a laugh. "What?"_

"_I had Remus make sure all the teachers were on the other side of the castle at 11."_

_I stared at her. "You're a bad influence on me, you know that?"_

_She smiled before heading up to the seventh floor. She walked by the tapestry hanging on the wall, thinking for a moment. _

"_Olivia, what are you doing?" I asked her, but she held a hand up, telling me to be quiet. A moment later, a large, brown door appeared on the wall. "How did you—what the—is that—?"_

_Olivia laughed and took my hand, pulling me inside the room. When we walked in, all the candles inside lit instantly. The walls of the room were painted red with deep red carpet on the ground. In the center of the room, there was a round, white bed, complete with hundreds of pillows. On the wall, there was a group of candles arranged into a heart, with the words "Sirius and Olivia" written inside._

"_What—what is all of this?" I asked her._

_She took a step closer to me. "Well, we're going to be leaving Hogwarts soon."_

"_So?" I said, my voice shaking._

_Olivia took another step towards me. "Well, we'll barely have any time to be alone, with James, his parents, and my parents always around us."_

"_Um…"_

_She took another step closer. "There's just one thing I want before we leave to go back home."_

"_What's that?" I asked._

_She took another step closer. "You," she whispered, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me close for a kiss. Her lips felt so warm against mine, and I was able to smell the perfect combination of her shampoo and perfume. Strawberries and roses…_

_Suddenly, I was on my back, lying on top of the bed, and Olivia was climbing on top of me._

"_Olivia—what—" I started to say, but was cut off with her lips meeting mine. She sat on top of me and pulled her sweater and shirt off, so she was just left in her skirt, tie, and bra. I placed my hands on her hips as she bent down to kiss me again._

***

"Get up, Padfoot," James said, throwing his pillow at me. I rolled over in my bed and felt something next to me. I opened my eyes and saw Taya Clarke lying next to me, still sleeping. Oh, right. Taya. I saw both of our clothes at the edge of the bed.

I quickly got out of my bed and threw on my robes before heading down to breakfast with the rest of the marauders.

When we got to the Great Hall, most people were already at breakfast. Lily was sitting with Olivia and the new girl, Rebecca. That was the last place I wanted to sit, but Lily waved us over.

Great.

"Morning," she said, greeting James. He sat down next to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. What a great boyfriend.

I saw Olivia wipe her eyes quickly before Remus sat down next to her. He handed her his handkerchief, which she took and dabbed at her eyes with. She was crying again. Even better.

I saw Remus bend over and whisper something in her ear, making her smile. I felt my fists clench when he did that—he knew ex-girlfriends were specifically off-limits.

Professor McGonagall walked by, passing out schedules. I took mine and looked over it. Mondays were going to be fun—we had double potions with the Slytherins, which meant I had extra time to screw with Snivellus.

"Yes!" I heard Olivia squeal.

"What?" Lily asked.

"Double potions with Slytherins!"

"Explain to my why this is a good thing?" she asked.

"Snape, of course. I now have a double period to screw around with him. What could be better than that?"

"Olivia, do you really think that's a good idea?" Remus asked. "The year has just started—do you want to start the term off with a week of potions with Professor Slughorn?"

"Me? Get detention?" she said innocently, batting her eyes. I had to suppress a laugh. James gave me a look.

"Sirius!" I heard someone shriek. I turned around and saw Taya running towards me. She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me fully on the lips. Normally, I would have pushed her off, but I saw Olivia out of the corner of my eye, so I kissed her back.

Olivia got up from the table, grabbed her bag, and ran out of the Great Hall. I heard her let out a sob as she passed me.

"Padfoot, why don't you ease up on her," Remus said to me once I sat back down. "Can't you at least _try_ to be civil towards her?"

"No," I said, picking up my piece of toast. "She screwed me over, so why shouldn't I do the same to her?"

Moony gave me a look before getting up from the table and leaving the Great Hall.

Whatever, I didn't care. Olivia and I were over. Done. Finito. Never happening again.

***

OPOV

I had to get out of there.

I had to.

If I stayed in the Great Hall and watched Sirius snog some other girl, I would lose my mind. I grabbed my bang and ran into the hall. Unfortunately, the tears had started before I made it out. I ran upstairs to the fourth floor and found my favorite spot—the corner by the Transfiguration classroom.

I sunk down onto the ground and started sobbing. I was so sick of Sirius treating me like I was a horrible person. He was acting like he didn't care about me. That wasn't true—the necklace was still blue. I just hated watching him maul Taya Clarke like that.

"Olivia?" someone asked. I lifted my head off my knees and saw Remus Lupin standing there, looking at me with worry in his eyes. "Are you all right?"

"What do you bloody think?" I asked before bursting into a new round of tears.

He walked over, took a seat next to me, and put an arm around my shoulders. "Shh, it's okay. Sirius is just being a prat right now—he'll come around."

I rested my head on his shoulder, letting the tears flow down my face. "How do you know that?" I asked, trying to calm down. "He won't look at me or talk to me or do anything. How am I going to get him to realize he still loves me?"

"What if he doesn't love you anymore?" Remus asked quietly.

I reached up to my neck and showed him the necklace. "Sirius gave this to me before I left. He said the stone would only be blue as long as he loves me. Every day I was gone, I checked the necklace. It's always been blue. If he didn't care about me anymore, it wouldn't look like this."

Remus looked at me for a moment. "Why did you leave without telling him? He was devastated when Dumbledore announced you'd transferred to Beauxbatons for the year. He thinks you ran away because he told you he loved you. Please tell me that's not true."

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. "No, it's not true. I would have told him…but I couldn't."

"You couldn't?" he asked, looking confused.

"Have you ever had a secret that you couldn't tell anyone, not even your closest friends? Something that could put them in danger?"

"More than you even know," he muttered.

"Well, I have something like that. I wasn't really at Beauxbatons last year. That's just a story Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic came up with to explain where I'd been for a year."

"So where were you?" he asked.

"Hiding," I whispered.

"Hiding?"

I nodded. "I wanted to tell you and Lily and Sirius, but I couldn't. I couldn't tell anybody. I shouldn't even be telling you now!" I gasped, horrified at what I had just told him.

I grabbed my bag, ran to the stairs, and headed up to Defense Against the Dark Arts, my first class of the day. I had to get away from Remus before I revealed everything to him—the running, the hiding, the fear, the terror I wouldn't live through another day.

I was the first on at Defense Against the Dark Arts since class didn't start for another 20 minutes. I walked into the empty room and took a seat in the front row. As I was taking out my books, the new professor, Hannah Ackerson, walked out of her office. When she spotted me, she looked confused.

"Can I help you?" she said.

"Oh, I'm here for class. I know it doesn't start for a little bit, but I just thought I should be early. I'm Olivia Parker, by the way."

"Olivia Parker…you're the girl who went to Beauxbatons for the year, correct?"

I nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Did you have a good time?"

Hmm, how to answer that…

"It was okay. I missed Hogwarts a lot and had to convince my parents to let me come back here. I mean, all my friends are here, and I wanted to finish my magical education close to home."

She gave me a warm smile. "That's understandable. I hope Beauxbatons taught you well—I don't see myself as an easy teacher."

Uh oh. I hadn't really been practicing magic for a whole year—I was going to be the worst in class. Even worse than Amos Diggory.

Before I could say anything, people started coming into the class. Rebecca took a seat next to me. Remus gave me a look before sitting with Peter. Sirius was sitting with Taya. What a surprise.

Once everyone had arrived, Professor Ackerson started the class. "Good morning everyone."

"Good morning," we all mumbled.

"Well, it's so nice to be back at Hogwarts after all these years," she said. I put my head down on my desk as she droned on and on about what we would be learning this year. To be perfectly honest, I didn't care. I felt something hit me in the back of the head. I turned around and saw a ball of paper by my feet.

I picked it up and opened it in my lap. It was from Remus.

_Meet me outside by the Forbidden Forest at nine tonight. I want to show you you can trust me with whatever secret you have. –Remus_

I looked back behind me and saw Remus looking at me. I gave him a small nod before turning back to the professor. I wonder what he meant by "showing" me he could trust me. I really hoped he didn't plan to woo me or something like that. No offense to Remus, but I wasn't attracted to him. He was a nice guy and all, but I loved Sirius.

After the class ended, Rebecca and I walked back to Gryffindor tower. I took a seat by the fire and pulled out a book to read. Professor Ackerson had been kind enough to not assign us any homework. Rebecca had gone to her special room to take some more Polyjuice potion, so I was sitting by myself.

Lily sat down next to me. "Hey girlie."

"Hi," I said, looking up from my book.

"Are you okay?" she asked. I knew she was referring to the Sirius-Taya make out session this morning at breakfast. I had to hold the vomit down when I thought about it.

"I've been better."

"Olivia, he'll come around. Just give him time and space. He'll see you two are meant for each other."

"I hope you're right," I sighed, leaning against the chair and letting the book close in my lap. I pushed my sleeve up and Lily gasped.

"Olivia, what's that?" she said, pointing to something on my arm. I looked down and saw a deep, long scar in my skin.

"Oh, it's nothing," I said, attempting to wave it off.

"It doesn't look like nothing."

"I fell and accidentally got cut this summer. That's all it is, I promise."

Lily looked at me skeptically.

"Lily, would I lie to you?"

Yes.

"No, I guess you wouldn't." She sighed as she leaned back in her chair.

I looked down at my arm and at the scar Lily had just spotted. I dragged my index finger across it and remembered how I got it.

***

"_Olivia!" my mother screamed as I was carried out of our newest home. One of the men who had burst into our home a few minutes ago was holding her at wandpoint._

"_Let me go!" I screamed, trying to hit or kick the man who was holding me._

"_Shut up, you little brat," he yelled, dragging me outside, where a group of Death Eaters were waiting for us. "Is this her?" he asked someone._

_A woman with wild black hair stepped forward and peered down at me. She turned my face with her index finger, but I jerked away._

"_Don't touch me you bitch!" I screamed at her. She smirked at me._

"_It seems like he chose a feisty one," a tall Death Eater remarked. _

"_The Dark Lord will be most please by your work, McNair."_

"_Thank you, Madam Lestrange," he said, bowing to the woman. He shoved me into her arms. She gave me a look and shoved me onto the ground, pointing her wand at me._

"_Now, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?" she asked. I responded by aiming a kick at her. She pointed her want at me and cried "Crucio!"_

_It felt like I was being stabbed with a thousand white-hot knives. Every part of my body was in pain, and I was in too much pain to do anything to try to stop it. After a few minutes, the pain lifted._

"_How did you like that, Miss Parker?" she sneered. I looked up at her with hate in my eyes. "Now, are you going to come willingly or am I going to have to get my friends her to drag you to my master?"_

"_I'll never go willingly!" I shouted. "You're master's a piece of scum, and you're no better!"_

"_How dare you!" she shrieked. "This is an honor! Most girls would give their right arm for this, and you sit there, insulting the greatest sorcerer to ever live? Sectumsempra!"_

_I felt a pain shoot up my arm. I looked down and saw, with horror, my forearm was spilling blood. I tried stopping it, but there was nothing I could do. The Death Eaters surrounding me were howling with cruel laughter as the scene around me grew darker and darker._

***

"Olivia!" someone shouted, shaking me. I opened my eyes and saw Lily standing above me.

"What did I miss?" I said, shooting out of my seat.

"We have potions in ten minutes," she said. I sighed as I sat up and grabbed my bag before heading down to the dungeons. I gave the scar on my arm one more look before heading into potions with Professor Slughorn.

**Please review!!**


	4. Moony

Chapter 4: Moony

**AN: Thanks to everyone who reads this story!**

OPOV

"Miss Parker!" Professor Slughorn exclaimed when I walked into the dungeons. "What a pleasure to see you! I missed your smiling face last year. Did you have a good time at Beauxbatons?"

"Oh, yes, sir," I said, smiling at him. "Oh, this is Rebecca Willows," I said, gesturing towards my disguised bodyguard. "She's a transfer from Beauxbatons."

"How delightful," he said, shaking Rebecca's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Willows. I hope you will enjoy your time at Hogwarts." Rebecca nodded before taking a seat with me at a table with a cauldron in between us. I glanced to the table next to me and saw Lily and James sitting next to each other. They were so cute, it made my heart ache.

Behind me, Sirius was sitting with Remus Lupin. I brought my hand up to my head and tousled my brown curls, but pretended not to notice he was there. I moved my head closer to Williamson, disguised as Rebecca. "I have to see someone tonight."

"No. Absolutely not. Out of the question," he hissed. "You know the rules about wandering around alone."

"But I'm not going to be alone," I whispered so no one would overhear me. "I told you—I'm meeting someone."

"Would this 'someone' happen to be a boy?" he asked, shooting a look at me.

"So what if it is?" I asked, shooting him a glare. "I'm allowed to have a social life, aren't I? Or are you trying to make sure I'm isolated from my friends and miserable while I'm here? I thought the whole point of me coming back was so I could have a _normal _life instead of one where I lived like a fugitive."

"Miss Parker, my job is to keep you alive this year. I'm not supposed to let you take any unnecessary risks. I'm sure the Minister would classify this as an unnecessary risk."

"Oh my god, it's not a risk! He's a friend of mine and we just want to talk since I haven't seen him in a year."

"Then talk to him at dinner. Or during classes. I just can't permit you to leave my sight at night unless you are going to your dormitory." I sighed loudly and he gave me a look. "This is for your own good, Olivia. You _do_ want to stay alive, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Then you'll listen to me and not try to sneak out tonight."

"Why would I try to sneak out?" I asked innocently. As far as he knew, I was a well-behaved, angelic girl who never broke the rules. As far as he knew, I wasn't forming a plan in my head about how to sneak out of the common room tonight.

He glared at me. "Do you think I'm stupid? I know all about you and your sneaking out at night. You and Sirius Black got in more trouble for being caught out of bounds at night more than any other students this school has seen. I just want to know how you always managed to weasel your way out of punishment."

I smiled sweetly, but didn't answer his question. I had usually been able to escape any kind of punishment. Teachers seemed to love me and always blamed my rule breaking on Sirius instead. So he would get detention and I would get a warning that next time it happened, I would be punished. But I never was, so I kept breaking the rules.

"Welcome back, N.E.W.T. students," Professor Slughorn said, standing at the front of the class. "As you all know, you take your N.E.W.T. exams at the end of this year, and it's my job to prepare you for them. I hope you all have been preparing over the summer, because this class is going to be difficult. I'm going to start grading your potions as the N.E.W.T. examiners would grade them. Now, some of you don't need to worry." He shot a smile at Lily Evans, his favorite pupil. She turned bright red, but smiled back. "Others of you will need to buckle down if you want to do well on your exams." He shot a look at Sirius, who was known for fooling around in his class. "Now, I've decided to do something different this year. Instead of having you choose who you want to work with, I'm going to assign you bench partners. You two will need to get along, since you will need each other to pass the class."

I swallowed and looked around nervously. I would be fine if I was with someone like Lily or Remus—they were both really smart and I got along well with them. If I were paired with someone like Snape, I would die. Snape and I hated each other, and I don't know how we would ever be able to work together for the entire year.

"Would all the girls please some up to the front and pull a slip of parchment out of this bowl?" Slughorn called. "The name on the slip of paper is your partner. Good luck, ladies."

Lily went first. Her face lit up when she read the name. "James! We're partners!" she squealed. Of course Lily was paired with James. Not only were they dating, they were also both excellent at potions. Lily just had all the luck.

Rebecca went next. "She" pulled out a slip of paper and read it with a French accent. "Severus Snape."

I breathed a sigh of relief as all the Gryffindor guys laughed. Williamson could handle Snape. He was an auror, after all. At least I wasn't paired with him. Actually, that might have been fun. I would have had all year to fuck with Snivellus. It would actually have been fun.

Claire Lynch went next. Beautiful, redheaded Claire was a proud Irish girl. Her thick Irish accent sometimes made it hard to understand her, especially when she got mad. Her red curls went to her shoulders and contrasted nicely with her pale, creamy complexion. I knew every guy in the school lusted after the Ravenclaw beauty, but none of them were worthy of her. She was as nice as they came and thought everyone, even the Slytherins, should be treated with kindness. She reached into the bowl and pulled out a name. Her pale cheeks instantly turned red when she read the name.

"Remus Lupin."

Oh boy. Claire liked Remus. Remus, like everyone else, liked Claire. The problem was, they were both too shy to say anything to the other one. They would probably never get together, which was too bad since they would make one of the cutest couples Hogwarts had ever seen, right behind James and Lily. Claire slowly walked over and sat next to Remus. She gave him a small smile before turning away so he wouldn't see her blush.

Jane Daw went after Claire. Jane, a Slytherin, was one of the meanest girls I had ever met. If you were a Gryffindor, she would hex you, even if you hadn't done anything to her. I once saw her curse a first year in the corridor because she had nothing better to do. She had long blonde hair and a pointed nose. Jane was headed down an evil path in life. I knew her parents were Death Eaters, and I assumed that's where she was going come graduation. I felt sorry for whoever she was paired with. She reached into the bowl and pulled out a name. "Evan Rosier." As she walked past me, she deliberately stepped on my foot. What a bitch.

Now, it was my turn. I looked around the room at the few boys who still didn't have a partner. There was Aiden Wood, Ellie Whites boyfriend. I knew she would probably murder me if we ended up being partners. Nothing against Ellie, but she was extremely jealous and possessive when it came to Aiden.

Michael Travers was sitting in the back. The tall, blonde-haired boy always acted like he never cared about anything, or anyone. A Slytherin, he had always hinted that we'd make beautiful children. Excuse me while I go throw up.

Antonin Dolohov was sitting next to Travers. There must be something about me which appealed to Slytherins because he had always tried to get into my pants (or cloak) every chance he got. Too bad for him I didn't like fat, short, and ugly boys with terrible acne. His greasy brown hair was always windswept and messy like Sirius's, but he couldn't pull it off like Sirius.

And then there was Sirius. My ex-boyfriend. I knew he was praying to the gods that I didn't pull his name out of the bowl. If I was being perfectly honest, I was praying the same thing. I could deal with Travers and Dolohov's advances all year, but I couldn't deal with Sirius treating me like I had dragon pox.

Slowly, I reached into the bowl and pulled out the slip of parchment.

_Sirius Black._

Of course. Of course I would end up being paired with my ex. Of course I was now going to be forced to sit next to him and work with him every potions period. My life sucked.

Breathing evenly, I grabbed my things and took a seat next to him. He deliberately looked away when I sat down, but I pretended I didn't notice him. I sat silently while everyone else was paired up and waited for Slughorn to give us more instructions. I just couldn't believe things between me and Sirius had gotten so bad that he wouldn't even look at me. We used to have so much fun together.

***

"_What is that?" he asked me. I had a small bottle of creamy liquid in my hand and I was tucking it into my pocket when Sirius walked up to me._

"_Oh, it's nothing," I said quickly, trying to hid the bottle. Sirius, of course, didn't believe me. He could always tell when I was lying, which was what I was doing at this very moment._

"_Olivia, just tell me what it is," he sighed._

"_It's for a prank," I whispered, taking his hand and pulling him into a corner of the common room. I removed the small bottle from my pocket and put it into Sirius's hands. "It's Amortentia, the love potion Slughorn was talking about. I swiped some from the cauldron that day he had it in class." He gave me a look. "Hey, you never know when it might come in handy."_

_He shook his head. "Okay, so who are you planning on pranking with it?"_

"_Who do you think?"_

_A big grin spread across his face. "Snivellus?"_

"_Of course. I was going to slip it into some chocolates, then send them to him anonymously. I have the potion set so he thinks he's in love with Jane Daw. You know, the Slytherin bitch who cursed me last year so badly I was in the hospital wing for a month."_

"_Oh, yeah," he said, remembering the unpleasant incident. Even though we hadn't been dating at the time, he had been there when she had put a spell on my bag to make it explode when I touched it. I was injured so badly I was moved to St. Mungo's to heal. This would be a nice piece of payback, since Jane couldn't stand Sirius on account of the fact he associated with Lily Evans._

"_Well, this should make Potions very interesting today," I said, pulling out the box of chocolates I bought last time I was in Hogsmeade. I carefully filled each chocolate with the potion before attaching the box to the owl waiting for me by the window. It flew off, the box dangling from its legs._

"_Did I ever tell you how awesome you are?" Sirius asked me._

"_What? It's just a prank!"_

"_But I've never seen a girl so willing to prank anyone without worrying about the consequences."_

"_Eh, it's worth it," I said, smiling at him. "If Jane and Snivelly are both humiliated, I will die a happy woman."_

"_How about I work on making you a happy woman right now?" Sirius growled, pulling me close to him._

***

"That was the worst lesson of my entire life," I moaned to Lily once we were back in the common room.

"Did he talk to you?" she asked, sitting in the chair next to me.

I shook my head. "If he needed something, he grunted or pointed at it. He avoided my eyes at all costs, and he ran out of that room as soon as the period ended. I don't know how we're supposed to work together on this essay of he won't talk to me."

"Olivia, don't stress," Lily said, laying a hand on my arm. "Just give him a few days to cool down. I'm sure he'll start talking to you again."

I sighed. "I hope you're right." At that moment, Remus came in the common room, alone. I looked around and saw Williamson, disguised as Rebecca, wasn't anywhere to be seen. It was now or never. "Lily, I'll see you later. I have to go talk to Remus right now."

"Oh, okay," she said as I got up off the chair and walked over to Remus. He had taken a seat at one of the tables and pulled out his Transfiguration book to start on his homework. He was such a good student.

"Remus?" I asked. He looked up and smiled when he saw it was me.

"Oh, hey, Olivia."

"Can we talk?" He nodded and I motioned towards the portrait hole. He climbed out first and I followed. I tripped over the landing and he caught me in his arms. I looked up at him to thank him, and that was how Sirius found us.

"Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath as he passed us. He glared at Remus before looking at me with hate. I sighed as I pushed myself out of Remus's arms.

"Well, that's going to be a pleasant conversation later," Remus said, shaking his head. "Here, let's go outside near Hagrid's cabin. No one will overhear us there."

"Good idea," I said, following him down the corridor and out the front of the castle. We walked down the path that led to Hagrid the gamekeeper's cabin. Remus walked past it until we were standing at the very edge of the Forbidden Forest. Once he had checked to make sure no one else was there, he looked at me.

"Olivia, I know you're keeping something from everyone. I know you're lying about something, and I wish you'd trust me enough to confide in me."

"I want to trust you, Remus, but I don't want you to have to bear the burden of my secret. It isn't something small like I met a guy at Beauxbatons and fell in love with him. It's bad, and I could be putting your life in danger by telling you."

"Olivia, I want you to trust me. We're friends, and friends trust each other."

"I do trust you, Remus," I said. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do. That's why I'm going to tell you something. Something I've only told a few other people in my life."

I swallowed. "Okay."

"Have you ever noticed that I tend to miss class for a few days every month?"

"Yeah. I asked Sirius about that, and he said you have some sort of disease that makes you sick once a month."

"Well, that's not the whole truth," he said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Remus," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "You can trust me."

"I'm just worried you won't want to talk to me anymore," he said quietly. "I'm worried you won't want to be friends anymore."

"Remus, whatever it is, it won't matter to me. I'll always be your friend, even if you're a vampire."

"Well, you're close," he said.

"Huh?"

"I'm not a vampire—I'm a werewolf."

"You're a what?" I shrieked, falling over. That was the last thing I was expecting him to say.

"I'm a werewolf. I was bitten as a child. Ever since then, I've made the painful transformation every full moon."

"Wow," I breathed, sitting on the ground. Remus lowered himself to sit next to me. He made to put his arm around my shoulder, but hesitated.

"It's okay," I told him. "I'm just a little shocked is all. I wasn't exactly expecting that."

He laughed. "I know. Most people wouldn't."

"Do James, Sirius, and Peter know?" I asked.

He nodded. "They found out our third year. I thought they were going to ditch me for sure, but they didn't." He wiped a tear away from his eye. "They've stuck by me and been the greatest friends anyone could ever have."

"You're very lucky," I said, leaning against his shoulder. "Most people wouldn't want to be friends with a werewolf, but James, Sirius, and Peter aren't like most people."

"Neither are you," he reminded me. "You're still sitting here with your head resting on the shoulder of a werewolf."

"But you're not a werewolf to me. You're Remus Lupin, the tall boy who stopped Antonin Dolohov from cursing me our fourth year."

He smiled. "That I did."

The two of us sat there for a while, not saying anything. We just stared at the sky, looking at the stars. Finally, Remus turned to look at me. "Can you trust me with whatever you're hiding? I just revealed my biggest secret to you. Can you do the same for me?"

I stood up and paced for a minute. Could I violate the Minister's order to not tell anyone what happened to me? Could I really tell him what happened to me and what was still happening to me? I looked into Remus's green eyes and saw a friend looking up at me. His eyes said _trust me_. I knew I could.

I took a deep breath. "I wasn't at Beauxbatons last year," I said slowly. "The day before the term started, the head of Magical Law Enforcement arrived at my house with terrible news. He said me and my family had to go into hiding. He said he couldn't tell us where we were going, and we couldn't tell anyone we were leaving. We had to act like nothing was happening."

"So that's why you didn't tell any of us why you were leaving."

I nodded. "I wanted to, but I couldn't. When I went to Sirius's house that day, I couldn't even say goodbye. He said he loved me, and I couldn't take it. I ran out of his house and back to mine, where we were moved somewhere else to hide."

"But why did you even have to go into hiding?" Remus asked.

"Well, it was—"

"Miss Parker!" a stern voice shouted. Remus and I turned and saw Williamson, no longer disguised as Rebecca, stomping towards us. Crap.

"Do you know this guy?" he asked. I nodded.

"How could you?" he shouted. "I specifically said no unnecessary risks! Do you know what the Minister would say if he found out? After all we've done, you go and do something stupid like this!"

"It's not like that!" I shouted back. "Remus is a good friend. I can trust him!"

He looked horrified. "You told him?"

"Not yet! I was about to when you so rudely interrupted us!"

"It's a good thing I did! Did you even bother to think about the consequences of your actions? Of course not! You're a silly, little girl!"

"You don't get it!" I shrieked. "I can trust Remus. He just proved it to me. Williamson, we can trust him. He wouldn't betray me."

He looked skeptically at me.

"Sir," Remus said, getting to his feet, "Olivia can trust me. I just told her I'm a werewolf. If I ever revealed her secret, she could easily reveal mine."

Williamson looked from me to Remus. "I don't know if the Minister would approve—"

"Oh, to hell with the Minister. I can't keep this to myself forever, Williamson. People are going to end up finding out. Can't I at least tell one person?"

"Well, you seem to trust this boy. And he seems like a friend. I can't see him betraying you. All right, you may tell him."

I turned to Remus, took a deep breath, and began my story.

**Love it? Hate it? Tell me!**


	5. Olivia's Tale

Chapter 5: Olivia's Tale

**AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

OPOV

Remus was looking at me, waiting for me to tell him what happened to me. Williamson, in his true form, was looking at me, worried I was making a huge mistake by telling Remus the truth about me. I knew I wasn't—Remus had told me his biggest secret, and now it was time for me to tell him mine.

"What are yeh all doin' out here?" came a gruff voice. "Do yehs know what time it is?" Hagrid asked, walking up to us. He stopped when he saw Williamson standing there. "Oh, Mr. Williamson, I didn't see yeh."

"It's all right, Hagrid," Williamson said.

"Do yehs need something?" he asked, looking from me to Remus to Williamson.

"Actually, can we use your cabin? It's getting quite dark, and I don't wish to be seated by the Forbidden Forest this late at night."

"O' course yeh can. Come on in. I just put on a pot o' tea an' I have some fruitcake for yeh all." I pulled Remus off the ground and the two of us followed Hagrid and Williamson inside the cabin. "I didn't know yeh was at Hogwarts," Hagrid was saying to Williamson as he rummaged in his cabinets for some cups and saucers.

"I'm here for the year," Williamson said, taking a seat. "I'll try to visit when I get a chance. How's Fluffy doing?"

"Oh, he's doin' great. He's gettin' real big now."

"Wonderful, wonderful." Hagrid put a cup of tea in front of Williamson and a piece of fruitcake on a plate in front of him. Hagrid also put two cups of tea and two pieces of fruitcake down for Remus and I.

"Thanks, Hagrid," I said, taking a seat.

"It's no problem. It's just good to have yeh back, Olivia."

"Speaking of which, I'm ready to hear the story," Remus said, meeting my eyes. I looked at him.

"Okay, but I'm going to have to start from the beginning. And I don't know a lot of the reasoning behind what happened."

***

_August 1975_

"_So, can you believe we're going to be sixth years?" I asked Sirius as the two of us lay by the pond in the back yard of the Potter's home—well, more like a mansion. My head was resting on his shoulder and he had his arms wound around my waist. Every few minutes, he would bury his face in my hair and kiss the top of my head._

"_I know," he said, kissing me right below my ear._

"_And we're going to be in the same classes," I reminded him, "Since we both got the same number of O.W.L.s."_

"_Even better," he said, moving his mouth to my neck. His hands moved down to my hips and snaked around so they rested on the back pockets of my jeans._

"_Sirius," I scolded him. "I'm not going to do you on the Potter's lawn, so pack your hormones away. Anyways, I have to leave. I told my mother I'd be back to help her with supper._

"_You'll be back tomorrow, right?" he asked as he helped me off the ground._

"_What kind of ridiculous question is that? Haven't I spent every day here this summer? Why would I stop coming the day before the new school year?"_

"_I don't know. Sometimes girls do weird stuff like that." I shook my head before kissing him on the lips. I slipped on my shoes and the two of us walked into the house, hand in hand,. When we walked into the kitchen, Mr. and Mrs. Potter were sitting at the table._

"_Oh, hello, Olivia," Mrs. Potter greeted me. "I didn't know you were here. Are you going to be staying for dinner again tonight?"_

"_I'd love to, but I have to get home. Sirius was just walking me out."_

"_Oh, well we'll see you later," Mr. Potter called as we walked into the front hallway._

"_Let me walk you back to your house," Sirius said, pulling me close to him. I giggled as he kissed me on my neck._

"_Sirius, I can get home fine by myself. Anyways, if you walk with me, it will take us over an hour to get there. I'll see you tomorrow morning, okay?" I said, kissing him quickly on the cheek before darting out the door. I walked quickly home as the sky got darker. I knew my parents hated me walking alone at night, but it would be faster if I went by myself._

_The entire way, I could have sworn someone was following me. Every few minutes, I checked behind me, but no one was there. I eventually made it back to my house. When I walked inside, something seemed wrong. My parents were sitting at the kitchen table, but they weren't alone. Barty Crouch, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was sitting next to my mother. She was sobbing and my father was trying to comfort her._

"_Mom? Dad? What's going on?" I asked, walking up to the table. "What's Mr. Crouch doing here?"_

"_Wow, Olivia, you've really grown," Barty Crouch said, standing up to give me a hug. My parents and the Crouch's were close friends. They always used to joke that one day Barty Crouch Jr. and I would get married, but I don't think so. Not only was Barty Jr. younger than me, he kind of creeped me out._

"_Mr. Crouch, what's going on? Why are you here, along with half of the aurors?" I said, looking around our living room. There were at least 7 aurors packed in there._

"_We have a situation involving your family."_

"_A situation?" I asked._

"_Olivia, why don't you sit down. This will be hard to hear." I started shaking as I took a seat next to my parents. Was someone in my family dead? It was becoming common to come home and find everyone in your house dead. I just hoped it wasn't something like that._

"_I assume you know what is going on in our country now."_

"_Of course I do. You-Know-Who has gotten all this power and he's trying to take over the country. People are disappearing and dying, but no one seems to be able to stop it. I know people who somehow offend him end up missing or dead."_

"_Exactly," Crouch said. "I couldn't have said it better myself. Well, You-Know-Who likes to target certain families who are against him."_

"_I know. What's that got to do with us?"_

"_He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has put an order out on your family."_

"_An order?" I asked._

_He nodded. "He wants your parents dead."_

"_Dead?" I screeched. "But why? What did we ever do? We're not involved in the fight against him!"_

"_He wants them dead so he can get to you."_

"_To me?" I asked, looking shocked. "Why would he want to get to me?"_

"_It seems the Dark Lord has developed an obsession with you. He wants you delivered to him alive, and has sent his best Death Eaters on the hunt for you."_

"_I don't understand. Why does he want me?"_

_Crouch shook his head. "No one knows. All we know is that he wants you, and he will do anything to get what he wants."_

"_So what are we supposed to do? Wait for him to find me and take me?"_

"_Of course not. You and your parents are going into hiding tomorrow."_

"_Oh my god, I have to go tell my friends!"_

"_NO!" Crouch shouted, seizing my arm. I looked at him strangely. "You can't tell anyone what has happened. No one must know where you are or that you are leaving. Your friends must think you still plan to attend Hogwarts this year."_

"_So you mean I have to lie to them," I said quietly. _

_He nodded. "Olivia, you cannot trust anyone in this time. People will sell their closest friends out if it means they will survive. At 4 pm tomorrow, a group of aurors will be here to escort you and your parents to your new home. I'm so sorry about this." He nodded to my father before getting up and leaving. The aurors remained behind to protect us through the night._

_I silently got up from the table and went to my room. I shut and locked the door before lying on my bed and sobbing myself to sleep._

***

"What do you mean You-Know-Who wanted you?" Remus asked. "Like he wanted you to join him?"

"No," I said slowly. "He…lusted for me."

"Ew."

"I know. Well, you know what happened the next day. I went over to Sirius's, where he told me he loved me. I broke down and ran out of the house. It was just too hard—I couldn't tell him I was leaving. I couldn't tell him what was happening to me. I didn't know if I was ever going to see him again. When I got back to my house, the aurors were waiting. They arranged a portkey and my parents and I left our house, unsure if we would ever return.

***

_November 1975_

"_Mom, we're out of food. I'm going to go to the store to get us something for dinner."_

"_Olivia, no! You can't go outside! We don't know who is in this area. There could be Death Eaters stationed over here. If they see you, it's all over!"_

"_But I'm bored, Mom. I want to do something besides sit in my room and worry if today is the day they find us and hand me over to You-Know-Who."_

"_Olivia, don't say things like that! We are very well protected. The aurors are watching us. If they think we are in danger, they will move us again."_

"_But I'm sick of this! I'm sick of moving to another place every week. I'm sick of hiding. I'm sick of not being able to write to my friends to tell them where I am. I'm sick of fearing for our lives. I just want to go home."_

"_Olivia, you know we can't do that. The Death Eaters went to our house the week after we left and destroyed it searching for us. Barty said someone is watching the wreck every day to see if we come back so they can kill us and grab you."_

_I sighed and sat down at the table in the small house we were currently living in. My dad was in the living room sleeping on the couch while my mom was in the kitchen cleaning. For the past few months, we had been changing houses almost every week. We had been here for three weeks now, and I prayed we wouldn't have to move anytime soon. Obviously, God didn't listen to my prayers._

"_Five minutes!" John Dawlish, the auror currently watching us called, running into the house. _

_My mom sighed. "What happened this time?"_

"_Rabastan Lestrange and Jason Wilkes spotted a few of the aurors down at the corner of the street. They know you're here. Williamson and Moody are dueling with them now. I know Moody's fighting to kill—he's been after those two for years. We have to get you out of here now. If they overtake Williamson and Moody, they'll get your location somehow. The portkey is set. Grab only what you can carry. Hurry!"_

_I ran to my room in the back of the small house and grabbed my suitcase, already packed. I had never bothered unpacking since we moved so often. I grabbed the few things that I had used since we arrived and threw them inside, running back into the kitchen. My parents were standing there with Dawlish with an empty can of soup between them. I placed my index finger on it. A minute later, I felt the familiar jerk behind my navel as the kitchen disappeared._

_I landed on the ground and looked around. We were in some kind of cave in the middle of nowhere. Great, we weren't even going to have heating, and the winter was approaching. Fantastic._

"_I know this isn't the ideal place to live, but I think it will give you some extra time before they manage to track you down again. We aren't by any other towns, which will also make it easier to spot any approaching Death Eaters."_

_There were two pops, and Richard Williamson and Alastor Moody arrived in the cave, both worse for wear. Moody had a long scar along his face, which was bleeding, and his robes were torn in many places. Williamson had a cloth wrapped around his hand. The cloth was bright red from all the blood._

"_Moody, what happened?" Dawlish asked._

"_That damn bastard Wilkes wouldn't go down without a fight. I finally killed him, but not until he got me with a few curses. Lestrange got away."_

"_You killed somebody?" I gasped. "How could you do that? I thought your job was to prevent them from doing that!"_

"_Miss Parker," Moody growled, "You're a pretty girl, but you're dumb as a post."_

"_Moody," Williamson warned._

"_No, she needs to hear this. You don't want us to kill people? Fine, you'll be on your own. The Death Eaters will find you, kill your parents, and hand you over to You-Know-Who. He'll probably end up killing you after he's tortured you. Now, would you rather that happen or would you rather we kill the people who are trying to kidnap you?"_

"_I'd rather be safe," I said quietly._

"_Okay, good. We'll be back later to check on you. John," he said, nodding to Dawlish. Once Moody and Williamson had disparated, my parents and I were left alone in the cave with Dawlish._

"_Is this ever going to end?" I asked my mom._

"_I don't know, sweetie."_

***

"So, you had to live in a cave?" Remus asked, looking at me.

I nodded.

"Wow that must have been serious. I remember last year when Sirius tried to get you to camp in the yard with him and you told him you only slept in places with heating and indoor plumbing."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, my parents and I hid in that cave through the winter and into the spring."

"They didn't find you?"

I shook my head. "They put a lot of protection around the cave so it would be very difficult for them to find us. Of course, they eventually would, but the aurors already had a new place lined up for us. They were also working with the Minister and Dumbledore so I would be able to come back to Hogwarts. In case you don't know, Hogwarts is under extra protection this year because of me."

"Wow. So, did they find you?"

I nodded. "In June. Someone in the Ministry must have been working for him. They found out our whereabouts and leaked it to a group of his closest Death Eaters, which included Bellatrix Lestrange. They set out to find us. Since we had been in the same place for so long, security was slightly decreased. Williamson, who was guarding us that week, had gone to the closest town to pick up some food for us. They were watching us, waiting for him to leave."

***

_June 1976_

"_Mom, do you think Williamson is going to be back soon? I'm getting hungry and we have nothing to eat here."_

"_I'm sure he'll be here momentarily, Olivia. Give the man some time to travel." My mom sat down in the back of the cave and picked up her book to read. I started pacing. We had been here for a long time now, and I was starting to get ancy. Every day, I had to stay in the cave and sit there, doing nothing. I was pretty sure we were safe, but you could never be 100 percent sure. I walked up towards the front of the cave and peered outside. The sun was shining and it was warm._

_I wanted to go out and tan or run around or do something. But I knew I couldn't. I couldn't risk all our lives that way._

_I turned to go back to my parents when a pair of hands grabbed my waist. I turned around and saw myself face to face with someone I had never seen befre. He was tall with dark hair, and he was leering at me. "Well, looks like someone got a little too confident we would never find her."_

_I screamed as he lifted me in the air and started carrying me outside._

"_Mom! Help me! Mom!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. My mother ran to the front to save me, but she was stopped when another Death Eater jumped in front of her and pointed a wand at her face._

"_Don't even think about it," he sneered._

"_Olivia!" my mom shouted as she disappeared from sight._

"_Let me go!" I shrieked, trying to hit him. Unfortunately, I could only hit his back, and that didn't seem to make much of a difference._

"_Shut up, you little brat," he snarled as I was carried into the sunshine and placed on the ground. When the man who captured me released me, I spit in his face and aimed a kick at his shins._

"_Bitch!" he shouted, slapping me across the face. I fell to the ground with the impact of his blow and felt tears well up in my eyes. I raised my hand to my cheek and felt the side of my face swelling into the size of a balloon._

_My attacker walked back over to me. "Is this her?" he asked someone. A women with heavily lidded eyes and dark, wild hair approached me. Bellatrix Lestrange._

_She bent down to put a finger on my face, but I batted it away. "Don't touch me, you bitch!" I screamed. She didn't seem offended and smirked at me._

"_It seems like he chose a feisty one," another Death Eater remarked. "She's not going to be easy to handle."_

"_The Dark Lord will be most please by your work, McNair," Bellatrix said, ignoring the man who had spoken. She looked down at me before turning back to McNair, the man who had brought me out here._

"_Thank you, Madam Lestrange," he said, bowing to the woman. She turned to face me again and pointed her wand at me._

"_I always hoped I'd be the one to find you, Olivia Parker. You are a disgrace to Purebloods everywhere. You hang around Mudbloods and blood traitors, then date the biggest disgrace to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. I don't know what my master wants with a pathetic piece of scum like you, but it is my duty to deliver you to him. Now, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?" she asked. I responded by aiming a kick at her. She pointed her want at me and cried "Crucio!"_

_It felt like I was being stabbed with a thousand white-hot knives. Every part of my body was in pain, and I was in too much pain to do anything to try to stop it. I writhed on the ground, praying for the pain to stop. I would have welcomed death at this point. Anything to make the pain go away. I rolled back and forth as I grabbed my hair and pulled on it, hoping it would help the pain._

_It didn't._

_I kept rolling around the dirt, screaming in pain. I could hear the laughter surrounding me. I shouted out for one of them to kill me, but they did nothing. After a few minutes, the pain lifted._

"_How did you like that, Miss Parker?" she sneered. I looked up at her with hate in my eyes. "Now, are you going to come willingly or am I going to have to get my friends her to drag you to my master?"_

"_I'll never go willingly!" I shouted. "You're master's a piece of scum, and you're no better!"_

"_How dare you!" she shrieked. "This is an honor! Most girls would give their right arm for this, and you sit there, insulting the greatest sorcerer to ever live? Sectumsempra!"_

_I felt a pain shoot up my arm. I looked down and saw, with horror, my forearm was spilling blood. I tried stopping it, but there was nothing I could do. The Death Eaters surrounding me were howling with cruel laughter as the scene around me grew darker and darker._

_I was lying on the ground as the gash on my arm spouted more and more blood. I was going to bleed to death, and they knew it._

"_Madam Lestrange, he said he wanted the girl alive," one of the Death Eaters reminded her. She shot him a glare, but she bent down beside me and murmured the counter curse. My arm stopped bleeding and healed itself, leaving a scar. She reached down and pulled me up by my hair. I screamed out in pain. She pointed her wand at my throat._

"_Now you listen to me, you stuck up little brat. The Dark Lord wants you. You may not deserve a wizard as great as him, but he wants you. Now shut your mouth. You're coming with us."_

"_Expelliarmus!" a voice cried. Everyone's heads turned as a group of aurors, lead by Alastor Moody, burst out of the bushes and started dueling with the Death Eaters. Bellatrix looked enraged as her wand flew out of her hand. She dropped me on the ground and scampered after her wand so she could join the fight._

_Frank Longbottom ran over to me and shoved me on the ground. "Stay down!" he hissed, aiming a curse at the closest Death Eater. His fiancée, Alice Prewett, ran over to us and grabbed my arm. I had the feeling like I was being shoved into a tight cylinder. I closed my eyes._

_When I opened them again, I was in an office. Alice was standing next to me. She winked at me before disappearing again. I looked around for a moment before a voice interrupted me._

"_Well, that was a close one, wasn't it?"_

***

"All the Death Eaters got away," I said, pulling myself out of the memory. "Bellatrix killed Paul Yates in the fight and Dawlish had to go to St. Mungo's for his injuries. The Minister put me and my parents in another home. This time, however, they protected us under the Fidelus Charm and made my dad secret keeper. No one can find the house unless my dad tells them where it is. And then they added extra protection to Hogwarts so I could come back without You-Know-Who finding me."

"Wow," Remus said, looking at me with shocked eyes. "I can't believe you made it the entire year without him finding someone. After all, once he sets his mind to kill you, you don't last long."

I nodded. "I mean, my parents can't work or anything, but they're safe now. Only a few people know where we are, but they can't betray the location of our house because they're not the secret keeper."

"You have to tell Sirius!" Remus suddenly exclaimed. "Tell him what happened! He'd understand. He'd take you back in an instant."

"I can't," I whispered. "I can't tell him. I'm putting you in danger by tell you this. If Sirius knew, he'd be in so much danger. I'd rather him keep on hating me than him be in danger." A tear fell down my face and I quickly wiped it away. "Remus, you have to promise me you won't say anything to Sirius."

"I promise," he said. "I think you should, but I promise not to say a word."

"Thank you," I said, giving him a big hug. The two of us said goodbye to Williamson and Hagrid, who were talking about the pro and cons of owning a dragon, before heading back up to the common room. Remus helped me through the portrait hole—where we found Sirius, waiting for us.

"Remus," he said stiffly.

"Oh my god, Sirius," I said angrily. "You can be angry with me, hate me, and make out with girls in the middle of the Great Hall, but I can't go out at night with a friend of mine? You're being ridiculous!"

"I'm not being ridiculous!" he roared. "I don't care if you date someone, but why do you have to date one of my best friends?"

"Remus and I—"

"Save it! I don't want to hear it. I'm going to bed." He grabbed his bag and stormed upstairs, not looking back at us.

"Well, that could have been worse," I said, turning to Remus. He looked unhappy, but looked even more horrified when I faced him. "What's the matter?" I asked. He didn't say anything. He pulled out his wand and conjured up a mirror and handed it to me.

"Look at your neck," he choked out. I held the mirror up and looked at my neck in it.

My necklace wasn't blue anymore.


	6. Surprise Attack

Chapter 6: Surprise Attack

**AN: Thank you to my reviewers!**

SPOV

Bastard.

Bastard, bastard, bastard.

He knew ex-girlfriends were off limits. He knew ex-girlfriends, who I may or may not still have feelings for, were off limits. He knew Olivia was off limits. How could Remus, one of my closest friends, do this to me?

And how could she do this to me? How could Olivia go after Remus? She had to see the way I still looked at her—she had to know I still wanted her.

Well, not anymore. I didn't want some slut who went around with one of my best friends. As far as I was concerned, Olivia could go to hell. Remus too.

And why had she decided to move on now? I saw her spend every day staring at me. She had this sad puppy dog look to her, and she broke down into tears every time I kissed Taya. Maybe she was with Remus just to piss me off. Dating Remus was almost as bad as her dating James. Thank god he decided to get with Lily during the summer or I would really have to Avada Kedavra myself.

The door to the dormitory opened and Remus walked in, looking worried. Good, he should be. He was going to wish he never went near Olivia by the time I got through with him. I leapt out of my bed and launched myself at him. "You bastard! You know she's off limits!" I shouted.

"Padfoot, calm down!" he yelled from underneath me, but I pretended not to hear him. I kept punching him in the stomach, getting all my anger out.

"Sirius, chill!" someone shouted, pulling me off Remus. I glanced over my shoulder and saw James using all his strength to hold me back. Peter was kneeling besides Remus, making sure he was okay. When Remus sat up, I was happy to see he had a black eye and there was blood trickling from his nose. The bastard deserved it. "What the hell is wrong with you, mate?" James asked.

"He—Olivia—together—bastard!" I shouted, trying to get my point across.

"I'm sorry, but what?" Peter asked, helping Remus to his feet. "I didn't understand a word you were trying to tell us."

"Sirius saw Olivia and me walking together," Remus said quietly.

"You bastard!" I shouted again. "I'll kill you! You know exes are off-limits!"

"Are you seriously with Olivia now?" James asked, looking at Remus.

"That's not right," Peter said, coming to my defense.

"Olivia and I are _not_ dating!" Remus shouted, looking offended. "Sirius, you're one of my best friends—why would I do something like that?"

"You were hugging her outside the portrait!" I yelled.

"She tripped—you know how clumsy she is—and I caught her. You just happened to walk by at that exact moment."

"Okay, but why were you walking with her alone at night?" James asked.

"Good point, Prongs. Why were you two alone?"

"She had to tell me something."

"What did she need to tell you?" I asked.

"That's between Olivia and me," he said quietly. "She trusts me, and I won't betray her trust."

"Fuck you," I said, turning away from him.

"You broke her heart," he said suddenly. I turned to look at him. "She's up in her room crying because the necklace you gave her is no longer blue. It just changed color, and she's devastated. This is for you," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out something small. He placed it in my hand and I saw it was the necklace I gave Olivia for our six-month anniversary. She had been wearing it?

"She was still wearing it?" I whispered.

"Of course!" he said, throwing his hands in the air. "She never stopped loving you. She thought there was still hope for you until the color suddenly disappeared from it ten minutes ago. Way to go, Padfoot." He turned around and left our dormitory.

"Forget about her," Peter said, coming over to me. James didn't say anything.

I met James' eyes. "She was still wearing it?" I choked out. I didn't know she was still wearing it. If she was still wearing it—oh god! "I'm an ass," I said, falling to my knees.

"No, you're not," Peter said. "She's the bitch—she left you. You've moved on—there's no crime in that."

"Yeah, you're right. So she still loved me—big deal. She left me here alone without a word and now she expects me to take her back? Fat chance!"

Feeling better, I climbed into bed and fell asleep, doing everything I could not to dream about Olivia.

***

OPOV

September and October rolled by without much happening between Sirius and me. After ripping off the necklace he gave me, I didn't know how we'd ever be together again. Remus told me he gave it back to Sirius. I thought that might have some effect on him, but he still looked at me as if I didn't exist.

He and Taya broke up half way through September. It was pretty ugly—they were screaming in the middle of the Great Hall for almost twenty minutes before Professor McGonagall sent them both to her office. Everyone could still hear them screaming even after they left.

After that, he dated Kara Moore, Julie Davies, Kara Johnson, and Taylor Bell. ("Dating" is putting things too nicely—it was more like he was shagging them to make me mad.)

He was now dating Victoria Watson. They spent every waking minute snogging. My gag reflex was becoming a lot weaker after watching them every day at breakfast.

At breakfast, everyone was excited—today was the first Quidditch match of the season. Gryffindor was playing Slytherin, and we wanted to win. James, as captain, had put together a pretty good team, so I thought we had a pretty good shot of winning.

Lily and I were sitting next to each other at breakfast, talking about the match. She was excited to watch James play (of course she was.) I was just excited to be doing something instead of watching Sirius snog everyone who wasn't me. Remus came over to us and sat next to me, kissing me on the cheek.

No, Remus and I weren't dating. We were friends, drawn closer because of the mutual understand that we both had a secret we were keeping from everyone. Remus was the one I could confide in when I felt overwhelmed by everything. He was the one I could talk to when Williamson told me about Death Eaters searching around the village where my family was now living. He was the one I could tell when I had a dream You-Know-Who had finally found me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, grabbing a piece of toast from the table.

"Better," I said. Last night, we had spent most of the night in the Room of Requirement with me sobbing on his shoulder with Williamson (not in his disguise) sleeping on a cot in there. He had told me earlier that Death Eaters had found my Uncle Matthew and Aunt Elisa, along with their two young kids, at their house in Bristol. The Dark Mark was found over their house and their bodies were inside. I knew what it meant—since You-Know-Who couldn't get to me, he was going to go after my family instead. I guess he thought I would willingly come to him to get him to stop killing everyone related to me.

"What happened?" Lily asked.

"My Aunt, Uncle, and cousins were killed yesterday," I said sadly, trying to force myself not to cry. Of course, tears started falling down my face.

"Oh, Olivia, I'm so sorry!" she said, throwing her arms around me. Unfortunately, that just made me cry harder. Remus put his hand on my back and tried to comfort me, but it didn't work.

Uncle Matthew and Aunt Elisa had been the only family I had besides my parents. My grandparents had been dead since I was little, and my mom didn't have any siblings. My cousins, Jack and Rachel, had only been six years old (they were twins,) when whoever broke into their house yesterday killed them.

"Are you going to be okay?" Lily asked.

"I'll be fine," I said in between sobs. "It's just, they were the only family I had besides my parents. If something happens to them, I'll be all alone."

"No you won't," Lily said. "You'll have me. If something ever happens to your parents, you can come live with me. My parents would be happy to have you."

I smiled at her. "Thanks, Lils."

"Olivia, are you okay?" someone asked. I turned around and saw James standing there. He had come over to kiss Lily before he went down to the pitch, but he stopped when he saw her comforting me.

"Olivia's just had a death in the family," Remus said, pulling me out of Lily's arms and into his. He rubbed my back and stroked my hair to try to make me calm down. It worked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Olivia," James said. "I thought you might be upset on account of Sirius being a prat again."

I laughed. "Well, that doesn't help anything." I wiped the tears off my cheeks. "Good luck today, James."

"Thanks. I'll see you after the game, Lily," he said, bending down to kiss his girlfriend goodbye. He walked away with other members from the Gryffindor team getting up to head down to the pitch to get ready for the match.

Remus and Lily stayed sitting with me at the table until I was completely calmed down after my crying incident. By the time we got up to head down to the pitch, almost everyone else had already left. The three of us walked to the pitch arm-in-arm and took a seat next to Leighton, my other best friend, and her boyfriend, Amos Diggory. Peter Pettigrew was sitting on Amos's other side. He waved to Remus but didn't acknowledge me.

"Hey, what took you guys so long?" she asked. "The match is about to start!"

"Sorry. Olivia forgot her scarf back in the common room, so we had to go and get it." Leighton shook her head before straightening Amos's yellow scarf. Amos, a Hufflepuff, was sitting with the Gryffindors since Leighton was a Gryffindor.

"I hope James put a decent team together," Lily said to us. "Lord knows it was embarrassing when Ravenclaw killed us in the final last year. And besides, I don't think I could stand to lose to Slytherin. Professor Slughorn would be gloating for weeks."

I nodded in agreement as the teams started walking onto the pitch. There was James, captain and center chaser. He was followed by his other two chasers, Aiden Wood and Mary Macdonald. The beaters, Fabian and Gideon Prewett came next, followed by the seeker, Kelly McKinnon. The keeper came last.

Sirius Black. Fantastic. All I wanted was to have to watch my ex-boyfriend fly around on the pitch right in front of me. Why did he have to be part of the team?

"I didn't know Sirius was on the team," I said, trying to keep any feeling out of my voice. Peter's eyes darted over towards me, but he didn't say anything.

"Yeah, he became keeper last year. James told him he needed something to do after you left. He's pretty good, too." He shrugged his shoulders.

This was all I needed—to have Sirius now be on the Quidditch team. Even though I wasn't big about the sport, Quidditch was a school thing. Everyone went to the games and had a great time. How could I be expected to enjoy them if Sirius was playing?

James and the Slytherin captain were now shaking hands. From where I was sitting, it looked like they were trying to break each other's hands instead. Everyone mounted their brooms and rose into the air. When I spotted the Slytherin seeker, I laughed out loud. It was Regulus Black—Sirius's younger brother.

"What?" Lily asked.

"Look who's Slytherin's seeker!" I said, pointing to Regulus. Lily and Remus both looked, and their mouths dropped open.

"Is that really—?"

"It is," I said, smiling. Sirius and Regulus hadn't spoken to each other since Sirius had left home and moved in with the Potters. This should be interesting. The Quaffle was thrown in the air, and the game began. James and the two chasers flew down the field, passing the Quaffle back and forth until the scored. The red and green robed players kept moving up and down the pitch. Sirius didn't let in a single goal, and Gryffindor won 400-0 when Kelly caught the Snitch.

All the Gryffindors ran onto the pitch, celebrating, once the game had ended. Sirius lifted Victoria into his arms and kissed her on the lips. I couldn't take it anymore.

"I have to get out of here," I said, getting up from my seat and walking out of the stands. Everyone was still celebrating on the pitch, no one except for Remus and Lily saw me leave. I walked down to Hagrid's hut, but I knew he wasn't there—he was at the match. I walked up to the edge of the Forbidden Forest and peered in. Unlike Sirius and his friends, I had never been inside the Forest. It was against school rules.

Well, I was never one to obey school rules and I was curious as to what lived in there. I started walking in and looked around. There were trees everywhere, and it was darker in here than it was outside of the forest. I heard something crawl past me, but by the time I had looked down to see what it was, it had vanished.

When Sirius and I were dating, he would always go on and on about how cool the forest was. To me, it was kind of boring. I hadn't seen anything remotely interesting yet. Maybe it was only cool at night—Sirius always said he and the others would come in when the sun went down. I turned around and started walking out of the forest when something cut off my oxygen.

I was lifted off the ground and a hand forced themselves over my mouth. I tried looked around to see who had grabbed me, but I didn't see anyone.

"I finally found you alone," a voice snarled as it carried me deeper and deeper into the forest. I remember someone saying that once you got to a certain point in the forest, you could apparate. I knew whoever had me was bringing me there so he could take me away from Hogwarts.

I tried thrashing around to get my captor to let go of me, but it was no use. He had a tight grip on me, and I couldn't get him to let go. I tried screaming, but his hand over my mouth prevented any sound from getting out.

"Try screaming all you want, it won't help," the man sneered. "The Death Eater here at Hogwarts saw you go off alone and notified me. I always hoped I'd be the one to catch you. My wife always gets all the credit for everything I do. Well, she's not here this time. He will reward above all others when I deliver you to him."

This was it. I was going to be given to You-Know-Who and there was nothing I could do to stop it. He banged my legs into a tree, and I felt something hard in my pocket jab into my leg. My wand! I slowly reached my hand down and grabbed it. The Death Eater didn't realize what I was doing. Out of his sight, I pointed the wand behind me.

_Stupefy_, I though, hoping the nonverbal spell would work. They weren't my strongest suit, and I didn't know if it would work.

_Stupefy_, I thought desperately. _Stupefy, stupefy, stupefy…_

Bang! I fell to the ground as the spell hit my captor and he fell immobilized, dropping me in the process. I jumped to my feet instantly and ran away from him. I tried heading back to the school, but I didn't know which way it was. What if I got lost and he found me again? For ten minutes, I ran around, but only managed to get myself lost.

I heard footsteps and hid behind a tree. What if it was the Death Eater again? If he got his hands on me, he would kill me.

"What happened?" a woman's voice asked.

"I had her," the voice of the man who had attacked me answered, "But she hit me with a nonverbal stunning spell. I was out for maybe a few minutes, but she managed to get away."

"You let her escape?" the woman shrieked. "I told you exactly where she was! You better hope he is in a merciful mood when you tell him what you managed to do."

"It won't matter if we find her now," the man responded. "I'll go this way, you go that way. See if we can find her before she leaves the forest." I dropped to the ground and started crawling away from them. If they were looking for me, I wasn't going to make it easy for them to find me. I kept crawling until I saw light ahead. The school!

I got up off the ground and sprinted out of the forest. I ran through the castle and up to the common room. I had to find Williamson and tell him what happened. I gave the Fat Lady the password (Dragon's Blood) and climbed through the hole. When I walked in, a victory party was in full swing. Sirius and Victoria were making out, but I didn't care for once in my life.

I didn't see Rebecca anywhere and started to panic. I had to find him and tell him now before the Death Eaters in the forest left. If he could catch them now, it would mean I was safer. I looked around frantically, but didn't see him disguised as Rebecca.

"Olivia!" a voice called. I turned and saw Remus walking towards me.

"Oh my gosh, thank god it's you!" I said. "Have you seen Rebecca? I need to find her now!" Tears were starting to fall down my cheeks as I started panicking more.

"What's wrong?" he asked, taking in my dirty appearance and nervous state.

"I was attacked by a Death Eater—I need to find Rebecca so I can tell her what happened!"

"Here, come with me," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the common room.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I'm taking you to see Dumbledore. "He'll know what to do." We walked to gargoyle statue, where I gave it the password. Dumbledore made sure I had the password to his office, just in case anything ever happened. Remus and I made our way up the stairs. I knocked on the office door.

"Come in," came a soft voice. I opened the door and walked inside. "Miss Parker, Mr. Lupin, to what do I owe this visit?"

"Sir, there are Death Eaters in the Forbidden Forest!" I shrieked. "One of them just attacked me. I was able to stun him nonverbally and get away, but I think he's still in there. Please, sir, they're looking for me!"

Dumbledore nodded once. "Take a seat Miss Parker. You too, Mr. Lupin. Williamson!" he called.

"Yes, sir?" Williamson said, emerging from a door in the office.

"I need you to go search the Forbidden Forest. I assume you heard what Miss Parker said?"

He nodded. "I'll see if I can find them before they apparate."

"Thank you," Dumbledore said as Williamson strolled out of the office. I sat back in my chair and waited, hoping he found the Death Eaters before they found me.


	7. Padfoot Grows a Pair

Chapter 7: Padfoot Grows a Pair

**AN: I love my reviewers!**

"Olivia, are you okay?" someone asked. I turned around in my chair and saw Lily looking at me worriedly.

"Oh, I'm fine, Lils," I said, relaxing. Ever since the incident with the Death Eaters last month, I had been extremely jumpy. When Williamson came back into Dumbledore's office, he said he hadn't found anyone in the forest. Dumbledore figured that the Death Eaters had gotten to the point where they could apparate. Dumbledore had heightened security so that an incident like that wouldn't happen again.

Williamson stuck to me like glue. He didn't want a repeat of the incident, and he knew it was the only way to get me to behave. He was next to me in every class, every meal, and wouldn't leave me until I was up in my dorm at night.

I barely had any time to spend with my friends without him by my side. The only person he was content to leave me alone with was Remus, since he was just as concerned about my safety as Williamson was.

Remus was still annoyed that I had gone into the Forbidden Forest alone. He kept telling me it was a miracle I wasn't killed.

"Olivia, you look exhausted," Lily noted, looking at the black circles underneath my eyes. "I know you haven't been sleeping because I hear you getting up in the middle of the night and going down into the common room." I looked at her with wide eyes, not saying anything. "I hear you talking in your sleep at night, too," she added. "You keep saying things like 'Get away from me! No, don't take me! Let go of me!' What happened to you, Olivia?"

"I can't tell you," I said quietly.

"Why not? I'm your best friend!" She looked sad and hurt. "Don't you trust me enough to tell me what happened to you?"

"Lily, I want to tell you. I do, I really do. But I'm not allowed to. I'm not allowed to tell anyone."

"You told Remus," she said, looking at me with fury in her eyes.

"What? How did you know that?"

"So you admit it's true!"

"How did you know I told him?" I asked again, trying to keep calm. What if Remus was telling people what happened?

"I see you two together all of the time now. I can tell you guys are sharing some kind of secret by way he looks at you and the way you treat each other. Olivia, what's going on?"

I wanted to tell her. I wanted to tell her anything, but I couldn't put her in danger like that. "Lily, I want to tell you more than anything in the world, but I'll put you in too much danger if I tell you. You have to trust me on this."

"Olivia, this is ridiculous! I'm your friend and I want to know what's going on—I don't care what kind of risk that puts me in!"

"I do!" I hissed. "Lily, you know how my aunt and uncle were found dead? Well, it's all my fault. If it weren't for me, they'd still be alive. I can't put you in that position—I'd never be able to live with myself if something happened to you because of me."

"But—"

"Lily, just drop it," I sighed, picking up my Transfiguration book so I could work on my essay.

"Olivia, I'm not going to drop this. You have to tell—"

"Olivia!" I turned and saw Remus coming towards me with an envelope in his hand. "Dumbledore said to give this to you." He handed me the envelope before giving me a questioning gaze. I shrugged my shoulders before ripping it open and pulling out a piece of parchment.

_Miss Parker,  
I'd be delighted if you would join me in my office tonight for a word. It's important that I speak with you before the holidays.  
Professor Dumbledore  
(PS: I have a craving for cockroach clusters.)_

So Dumbledore needed to see me. It didn't surprise me—I was in his office at least once a week with information about You-Know-Who's efforts to find where my parents were hiding and capture me. Luckily, I was safe at Hogwarts. I had been thinking about how I was going to get home, and I didn't know how I was supposed to get there without being captured. I knew the Death Eaters would be waiting for me to leave the walls of Hogwarts, and they would be ready to grab me when that time came.

Lily was about to ask me a question when James walked into the common room, and she was distracted by his lips on hers. I let out a sigh of relief and went to sit with Remus. He was reading a book by the fire, but looked up when I sat down next to him.

"What did Dumbledore want?" he asked.

"He wants to see me tonight. I'm pretty sure it's about how I'm supposed to get home safely for the holidays."

"I don't understand why you don't just stay here," he said. "It's safer here, and there will be plenty of people here to keep you company."

"I know, but I want to see my parents. I spent every day with them last year—it's hard to be separated for so long now."

"I guess you're right. Make sure you write me or I'll be crazy with worry about you."

"I'll be fine—Williamson is coming back with me to protect my family and me."

"Well, that's good, but I'll still be worried. You always seem to find trouble, no matter how much protection you have. I mean, do you remember the summer before you left?"

"How could I forget?"

***

"_I still don't see why four are insisting I come fishing with you," I grumbled as I followed James, Peter, Remus, and Sirius down the path to the lake by the Potter's house. "I mean, I hate nature. Why can't I just go home instead?"_

"_Honey, chill," Sirius said, taking my hand and walking with me. "You said you wanted to spend every day with me this summer. I have to be able to spend time with my friends, too."_

"_I still don't see why we have to go fishing," I said. "Why can't we do something fun?"_

"_Are you crazy?" James called. "Fishing IS fun!"_

"_Yeah, for you guys. I'm a girl—I prefer spending time inside away from bugs and snakes."_

_Sirius rolled his eyes as we got closer to the lake. The lake was on the other side of a ravine that you had to cross by walking over a bridge. The bridge was very sturdy, but I didn't like crossing it because I always felt like it was somehow going to break and I was going to plunge to my death._

"_Babe, come on," Sirius said, tugging on my hand and pulling me onto the bridge. We were about halfway over when there was a cracking sound._

_I looked down and saw the wood under my feet splitting. I was about to tell Sirius when the board gave way and I dropped._

_I was dead. I was going to drop to my death, and I knew it. There was no need to scream if I knew what was coming._

_A hand grabbed my arm and I looked up. Sirius was bent on the ground, holding on to me. "Sirius, help me!" I gasped, trying to pull myself back up._

"_Don't move!" he said. "Remus, Peter, James! Come help me!" he called to his friends. The three guys joined Sirius. James knelt on the ground and grabbed my other arm. The two of them then pulled me through the hole that had formed and pulled me back onto the bridge._

_Once I was back on the ground, I quickly got off the bridge and collapsed on the grass. Sirius walked over and laid down next to me. "Well, I guess that wasn't the best idea," he said._

"_I guess not."_

***

"Yeah, only you could somehow get a sturdy bridge to form a hole in the middle of it," Remus said, jokingly pushing me. I laughed and hit his shoulder.

I was starting to feel happy for once, but of course, Sirius decided to walk by me at that exact moment. He gave me an icy glare before heading up to his dormitory. I sighed and a tear fell from my eye.

"Olivia, forget about him," Remus said, patting my back.

"I wish I could," I said sadly. "Is it pathetic I still love him, even when he treats me like that?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "We can't help who we love. Just like Claire will never see me as more than the guy who sits next to her in potions."

My eyes widened. "You like Claire?" I gasped, even though I had known it was true.

"Uh, what I mean is…" His cheeks turned bright red.

"You do!" I shouted pointing a finger at him. "I knew it!"

"Shh!" he hissed, pulling me back down so I was sitting. "Don't go and announce it to the entire common room!"

"Remus, that's wonderful! You two would make an adorable couple."

"Like she even knows I'm alive," he said miserably.

"You should just ask her out—you never know what she might say."

"Yeah, okay. Like she'd want to be with a werewolf."

I glared at him before getting up and heading out of the portrait hole to go see Dumbledore. I made my way down the corridors until I reached the gargoyle guarding the stairs to Dumbledore's office. "Cockroach cluster," I told the statue. It jumped to the side and the spiral staircase descended. I walked upstairs and knocked on the door to Dumbledore's office.

"Come in," came his voice. I opened the door and walked in. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, reading _The Evening Prophet_.

"Good evening, Sir," I said.

"Have a seat, Miss Parker," he said, gesturing to an empty chair. I sat down and faced him, not sure what to say. Dumbledore took a deep breath before speaking. "I have some bad news."

"Bad news?" I asked quietly.

He nodded. "Somehow, Death Eaters realized where your parents were hiding. We are guessing they placed a spy into our group who was able to get the location out of your father. Whatever the case may be, we were able to move them in time before the Death Eaters arrived. What this means is you need the location of your new house before you can return home for the holidays."

"Okay, what is it?" I asked.

"I cannot tell you as I am not the secret-keeper. Williamson, however, is. The Ministry decided they'd prefer to handle your safety themselves instead of allowing you or your family to do that. This," he said, handing me a slip of paper, "Is the new location. Williamson wrote it, and it has your new address. Do not lose this paper, as anyone who reads it will be able to find you."

"Sir?" I asked after I put the paper in my pocket.

"Yes?"

"How am I getting home? I mean, it's not like I can just take the Knight Bus or something."

He smiled. "No, you cannot. You will be using Floo Powder to get home from the fire in my office. You and Williamson will report here tomorrow morning to go to your house."

I nodded and walked out of his office and back to the common room. When I walked in, Remus was still sitting by the fire, but most of the other people had gone to bed. I went and took a seat by him. I knew I wasn't supposed to tell anybody where our house was, but I had to make sure I had some kind of protection.

"What did Dumbledore want?" he asked.

"Just telling me how I'm getting home. Listen, I want you to have this." I pressed the piece of paper with the address of my house into his hand. "Don't show it to anyone—it's my home address. I need someone besides the Ministry of Magic knowing where I am. You're the only person I trust to come and help me if I'm in trouble. If something happens, you'll know where to find me."

***

SPOV

It was bad enough she was back. It was bad enough I had to spend every potions lesson sitting next to her, smelling the wonderful combination of her shampoo and perfume. It was bad enough I had to see her every fucking day.

Did she have to spend all her time one of my best friends? Did she have to _flirt_ with him every time I walked by? If I saw her giggle at something he said one more time, I might actually kill him.

I laid on my bed in my dormitory, brooding over Olivia. I didn't love her anymore—the necklace was proof of that—but I still hated seeing her with Remus. Any other guy I wouldn't care about, but not one of my closest friends. If it was Peter, I might not care as much—the guy needed a girlfriend.

I pulled out the necklace I had given Olivia and looked at it again. The stone still had no color. I sighed and put it back in my pocket. I guess I really didn't love her anymore. Well, who cared? I was with Victoria now, and I was as happy as I could be.

_Padfoot, that's a lie and you know it_ I told myself. I knew I would never be happy unless I was with Olivia.

I was the only one in the room right now. James was with Lily, Peter was off somewhere, and Remus was with Olivia. I tried not to break something when I thought of them together. The door opened and someone walked in. I turned around and saw Remus alone.

I turned back to the window and ignored him.

"Padfoot, I need to tell you something." I pretended he wasn't there. "Padfoot, would you at least do me the courtesy of acknowledging me when I talk to you?" I still ignored him. He sighed. "It's about Olivia."

Damn him. Damn him straight to hell. "What do you want, Moony?" I asked, sitting up to face him.

"Olivia's going home tomorrow."

"So?" I asked. "Why would I care if she's going home tomorrow? She doesn't even live in the same house she used to."

"Padfoot, she still loves you, okay? She told me so tonight. The entire school might think we're dating, but we're not! Olivia is a friend, and that's it!"

"Is that it?" I asked.

"No. She's going home tomorrow, but I think something's wrong. She was acting weird just now, and I think something bad happened to her."

"Bad?" I asked. "Why would something bad happen to her?"

"Padfoot, pull your head out of your ass and get a clue—she lied about where she was last year!"

"What?" I asked, completely confused.

"She never attended Beauxbatons last year—she was running."

"Running?" I asked.

"Yes, running. She's in trouble, and I can't do anything to help. Here, take this," he said, thrusting a small slip of parchment into my hand. "Don't show it to anyone."

"What is this?" I asked.

"You'll know what to do with it when the time comes," he said. "If you still truly care about Olivia, you'll know what to do."

I looked at him like he had three heads—I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. What did a slip of paper have to do with me caring about Olivia? Sometimes, I never really understood what Remus was talking about.

Shrugging my shoulders, I put the paper next to my bed and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew, James was shaking me awake to get ready to catch the Hogwarts Express to head home for the holidays. The paper Remus had given me was sitting in my pocket, and every so often, I would pull it out to read it.

72 Midnight Passage.

I had no idea what that even meant, but obviously it was important, or Remus wouldn't have given it to me. I didn't see Olivia on the train. I pulled the map out of my bag (it was my week with it) and checked it. Nope, Olivia was no longer at the castle. If she wasn't on the train heading home and wasn't in the castle, where was she?

I sighed and sat back in my seat. Remus and Peter were discussing something I could care less about while James and Lily were holding hands and making googly eyes at each other. Whenever I saw them together, it made me miss Olivia.

I could try to convince myself until I was blue in the face, but the truth was, I still loved Olivia. I knew it was true, but I was too proud and stubborn to tell her. That would be my New Year's resolution—to tell Olivia I still loved her.

When we got back to Hogwarts, I would tell her. I would tell her I didn't care that she had left. I would tell her I didn't care about anything. The only thing I cared about was her. She was the love of my life, and I didn't want to be with anyone but her. As the train pulled into the station, I couldn't wait to go back to Hogwarts so I could win back the love of my life.

**Review? **


	8. Saving Olivia

Chapter 8: Saving Olivia

SPOV

"James! Sirius!" Mrs. Potter greeted us as we walked through the door into the house after apparating from the train station. James's mother was in the kitchen reading while Mickey, the house elf, prepared dinner. Mr. Potter was at work like usual.

Mrs. Potter got up and gave us each a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"So, how was the first term, boys?" she asked, gesturing for us to take a seat while she sent our trunks up to our rooms with a flick of the wand.

"Good," James said, grabbing a cookie off the plate in the center of the table. "We have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher—Professor Ackerson."

"Oh? And what do you think of her?"

"I dunno," James groaned. "I mean, she's okay. At least she's teaching us useful things like how to use defensive spells."

"I don't even see why I'm still at school," I said. "I mean, I already know everything I need to know to fight You-Know-Who."

"So, that's what you want to do?" Mrs. Potter asked.

"Well, yeah. What else would I want to do than fight the very person my parents adore? Besides, I hate everything he stands for—why wouldn't I want to be part of the group who are trying to take him down?"

"Yeah, me too," James added. "I want to be an auror and fight to protect everyone I love."

"Including Lily Evans," I laughed. James shot a glare in my direction.

"I hope you invited her for New Years," Mrs. Potter told James. "I would like to finally meet the girl you've been in love with since your fourth year."

"Why doesn't Sirius invite Olivia as well?" James said mischievously. Why was I friends with him again?

"Olivia's back?" Mrs. Potter asked, looking at me. "Why didn't you tell me, Sirius?"

"Well, there wasn't anything to report about it. She's back at Hogwarts for the year."

"Oh, invite her! I haven't seen her since she left."

"Well, we're not exactly on speaking terms," I said quietly.

"Sirius Black!" Mrs. Potter scolded. "Are you still angry about her leaving? It's been over a year—you need to find it in your heart to forgive her."

"I know," I sighed. James' mom was giving me a look, so I excused myself from the table and went upstairs to my room. Daisy, one of the other house elves, rushed in to see if I needed anything. After telling her I was fine, I collapsed on top of my bed. I grabbed my photo album from my bedside table and flipped through it until I found the picture I wanted.

Olivia was leaning against a wall, smiling at me. Every so often, she would blow a kiss at me and wave cutely. I flipped to the next picture where Olivia and I were sitting by the lake at Hogwarts, holding hands and smiling. The picture me kept sneaking in kisses when the picture Olivia wasn't looking.

I turned to the back cover and read the note written in it:

_Sirius,_

_I know you probably hate me now. I know you wish I were never born. I know we will probably never see each other again. I made this for you as soon as I got home last night. I want you to keep it close to your heart. No matter how angry you are at me, please don't get rid of this. When you are cursing me and hating me, I want you to remember one thing: I will never stop loving you. I love you now, and I will still love you 50 years from now._

_Love,  
Olivia_

I flipped through the book, looking at all the pictures of Olivia and I. Pictures of Olivia with Lily, Remus, Leighton, James, and Peter. The last picture was of Olivia and I right before she left. We were sitting on a beach at sunset, and we were kissing.

I shut the book and put it back on the table. What happened to us? We used to be so happy together. Now, we could barely spend a period together in potions without fighting.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the slip of paper Remus had given to me before I left. I unfolded it and looked at it for the millionth time.

72 Midnight Passage.

What did that mean? How was I supposed to know what to do with it? Remus seemed to think I would come in handy, but I didn't see how. Maybe Moony was just playing some kind of prank on me. I shook my head and looked up at the ceiling of my room, trying not to think about Olivia and what she was doing right now.

***

OPOV

"So, Mom and Dad know I'm coming home this way, right?" I asked Williamson as the two of us made our way down the corridors of Hogwarts and up to Dumbledore's office.

"Of course they do," he said, smiling at me. "I spoke to them earlier this week, and they're both very excited to see you. I think after spending every day together for almost a year, they really miss you."

I smiled widely. "I feel the same way. It's weird not camping out in a cave with them." We approached the gargoyle guarding the staircases to Dumbledore's office. "Chocolate Frog," I said. The gargoyle sprang to life and the set of stairs descended. I went up first with Williamson following, carrying my trunk.

I reached the landing and knocked on the door.

"Enter," came Dumbledore's soft voice. I opened the door and walked into Dumbledore's office. He was sitting at his desk, writing something on a piece of parchment. When he saw me, he put his quill down, got up, and walked over to me. "I have the fire all ready for you," he said, indicating the lit fire in the corner of his office.

"I'll go first and bring your trunk back," Williamson said. "Wait a few seconds, then you may follow. Your parents and I will be waiting for you," Williamson informed me. I nodded. Williamson, Dumbledore, and I walked over to the fire. Dumbledore grabbed a pot with phoenixes engraved on the side of it. He held it out, and I saw there was green powder inside. Floo powder.

Dumbledore held it up and offered it to Williamson. He took a handful, threw it into the fire, then climbed into the green flames. "72 Midnight Passage!" he shouted before the green flames engulfed him and he disappeared. I stared at the spot where he had just been standing. No matter how many times I traveled by floo powder, I would never get used to someone disappearing into fire.

"Miss Parker?" Dumbledore asked cautiously as I grabbed a handful of floo powder.

"Yes, sir?"

"I know I'm your professor, but I want you to know you can count on me for anything you need."

"Sir, I'm not sure I understand you."

"Olivia, if you run into any problems over the holiday, any at all, you should not hesitate to contact me. Even though I am your headmaster, I care about you and your family greatly. If you feel there is a problem or a threat, alert me at once, and I will be there to assist you. You shouldn't feel like something is too small or insignificant to tell me. No matter what, I will be there to help."

"Thank you, sir," I said, surprising him by throwing my arms around his middle and pulling him into a hug. When I let go, I saw Dumbledore was smiling.

"Now, I believe your family is waiting for you. Remember, I can reached by owl at any time. I will see you after the holidays."

I waved to Dumbledore before throwing the powder into the fire, stepping into it, and shouting, "72 Midnight Passage!" I was sucked into the fire. I kept my elbows tucked in at my sides so I didn't bump or scrape them during my journey. I kept my eyes closed so the ash wouldn't spray into them. My body zoomed along as I passed different grates. I eventually slowed down and fell out of the fire place and onto a cool floor. I looked down and saw a pair of feet in front of me.

I pushed myself off the floor and dusted off my clothes. I looked up, expecting to see my mother looking down at me.

It wasn't her.

"Hello, Olivia," the woman sneered, looking at me with her black, heavily lidded eyes. Her shiny black hair fell to her waist in tight curls. She had pale skin that contrasted heavily with her other dark features. Even though she was sadistic and evil, I had to admit she was beautiful. She looked at me hungrily, like I was a four course meal and she hadn't eaten in months.

I recognized her instantly—Bellatrix Lestrange. The first female Death Eater. She was the reason I had a long scar on my arm. Possibly the most evil person I had ever met, she was determined to hand deliver me to You-Know-Who, dead or alive.

"Hello, Bellatrix," I greeted her calmly. I saw no point in trying to fight her—if she was here, there were at least three more Death Eaters with her. Right on cue, Rodolphus Lestrange, her husband, Rabastan Lestrange, his brother, and Lucius Malfoy emerged. All of them were staring at me, and I didn't see how I could possibly get out of this situation. Fantastic.

Bellatrix snapped her fingers, and Lucius Malfoy appeared at my side, grabbing my arm.

"Should I take her now?" he asked, looking to Bellatrix. Even though she was a woman, she seemed to be the leader of the group who had come to my house to fetch me.

"Not yet," she said. "I want her to see what we've been doing while we were waiting for her." All the Death Eaters started chuckling. Lucius Malfoy, his fingers digging into my arm, pulled me from where I was standing and led me to the back of the house. I heard someone moaning and a scraping sound, like a chair being pulled across the floor.

I was pulled into the kitchen. Well, I think it was the kitchen—it was too hard to tell with all the destruction that had taken place in the room. In the center of the room, there were three chairs. Two of the chairs had people in them while the third was empty. There was a person on the floor who was being held at wandpoint by another Death Eater. When the five of us walked into the room, everyone who was already there looked at us.

My parents were tied to the chairs. They were bound and gagged, but their eyes still bulged wide open when they saw I had been captured. I know they had been hoping I had realized what was happening and decided to stay at Hogwarts. Unfortunately for all of us, that wasn't the case.

Williamson was being held on the floor by an extremely vicious looking Death Eater. I saw a trail of blood trickling down his face from a cut on his forehead. His face wasn't showing the fear I knew he felt, but it showed defiance, like he wasn't going to let these Death Eaters take him down.

I looked Bellatrix in the eyes and saw the hatred in them. She didn't want to deliver me to You-Know-Who alive—she wanted me dead.

Lucius Malfoy had his wand pressed against my throat, so I didn't want to risk moving or saying anything. I shifted my gaze from Bellatrix to my parents. They both looked terrified, but not for their own lives. We all knew I was in the most danger out of us three. Once You-Know-Who had me, I would be raped, tortured, and humiliated before I was killed.

"So," Bellatrix said, walking up to my parents. "You thought you could hide and outrun us, did you?" She smiled contemptuously at them. "You obviously underestimated me. I am the Dark Lord's most loyal servant. If he desires something, I will deliver it to him. If he desires your blood traitor daughter, I will bring her to him."

Lucius Malfoy chuckled, jabbing his wand harder into my throat.

"We're going to take her now," Bellatrix continued. "Maybe this will teach you never to try to outrun the Dark Lord."

This was my only chance. I stomped my foot hard on Lucius' toes. He shrieked in pain and dropped his wand. I snatched it up and disarmed Rabastan Lestrange. His wand flew into the air and I caught it in my outstretched hand. Rodolphus Lestrange advanced towards me. I stunned him, and he fell to the ground.

I pointed the wand at the Death Eater holding Williamson hostage and stunned him. He fell over and Williamson stood up.

"_Stupefy!_" Bellatrix cried, pointing her wand at Williamson. He dropped to the floor as the jet of red light hit him in the chest. I pointed the wand at Bellatrix and she did the same to me. "_Avada kedavra!_" she cried, sending a jet of green light towards my parents. It hit my mother in the chest, and she slumped over.

"Mom!" I screamed, dropping to my knees. My dad started struggling in the chair, but Bellatrix sent another jet of green light at my father, and the life left his body, just like Mom. "Dad!" I cried as I stared at my dead parents.

"Now, how about you come quietly?" Bellatrix sneered. I answered by sending a Stunning spell at her. "_Crucio!_" she shrieked, and my body filled with pain. It was like a thousand knives were being jabbed into me at the same time, and I felt each one pierce my skin. I grabbed my hair and pulled on it to try and stop the pain, but it didn't help. I screamed louder and louder, but the pain didn't stop. I felt the tears streaming down my face because I knew I was about to join my parents.

***

SPOV

"Master Sirius?" Daisy asked, walking into my room. I looked at her and saw she had a plate of brownies. "Would sir like a brownie? Daisy made them herself, sir."

"Thanks, Daisy," I said, grabbing one. I took a bite, and the taste of Daisy's incredible brownies filled my mouth. The one thing I missed about being home was Daisy's cooking. I laid back down on my bed and pulled out the slip of paper Remus had given me again. I still didn't know what 72 Midnight Passage was supposed to mean or what I was supposed to do with it.

All of a sudden, I felt something in my pocket. It was as if someone had stuck a lit match in my pants and it was burning through my skin. I reached in and pulled out the necklace I had given Olivia before she left. It was blue again, but it was also white hot.

I didn't know what was going on—why did it feel like it was on fire?

The room filled with a girl's screams, but I didn't know where they were coming from.

"Did you like that?" someone asked. I could hear someone crying and whimpering in the background. "Now, are you going to come quietly, or would you like another dose of pain?" Wait, I recognized that voice—it belonged to my twisted and sadistic cousin Bellatrix. Why was her voice echoing in my room?

"I'll never come!" someone shrieked. "You'll have to kill me before I come willingly!" The girl's voice was one I knew well—Olivia. What were Bellatrix and Olivia doing together?

"Be quiet, you worthless blood traitor! _CRUCIO!_" Olivia's screams filled my room as she was hit with the Cruciatus curse. She kept shrieking, but I didn't know where to find her to help her. I had to find her and save her. I pulled out the slip of paper again. I hope this worked…

_72 Midnight Passage…72 Midnight Passage…72 Midnight Passage…_

I kept my eyes closed as I concentrated on the location in my head. If Olivia wasn't here, I didn't know where she would be. I opened my eyes and saw I was outside a small house I had never seen before. I could hear screams coming from inside the place—Olivia!

I pulled out my wand as I burst through the door. Olivia's screams got louder when I walked into the house, so I knew she was here somewhere.

"Help me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Somebody please help me!"

"Olivia!" I shouted, rushing down the hall towards the sound of her voice. I walked into the kitchen and froze. Bellatrix was standing over Olivia with her wand pointed at her while Olivia screamed in pain. Her parents were tied to a pair of chairs, but they weren't moving. There were a few unconscious Death Eaters on the floor, along with another man I had never seen before.

"Ah, dear cousin," Bellatrix greeted me. "Have you come to watch me torture the blood traitor who broke your heart?"

"Leave her alone!" I shouted, pointing my wand at her. "Crucio!"

"Ah!" Bellatrix exclaimed, dropping her wand. Other than that, the spell appeared to do nothing to her. "Never used an unforgivable curse before, have you?" she asked, walking closer to me. "You have to _mean_ it," she snarled, pulling a dagger out of her belt. She lunged at me, and I did the only thing I could think of.

"_Stupefy!_" I cried. A jet of red light shot out of my wand and hit Bellatrix. She collapsed onto the ground. I knew I only had a few moments before she woke up again, so I rushed to Olivia's side. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving. "Please don't be dead, Olivia," I said, pulling her into my arms.

I saw she was breathing, so I knew she was still living. I breathed a sigh of relief before I heard someone stirring. I looked over and saw a man on the floor trying to push himself up. He was all banged up and looked like he had been tortured.

"You," he said, pointing at me.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Do you have a safe place I can take her? We were betrayed here, and I need to get her out of here before they wake up and try to kill her."

"Here, grab my arm," I said, shoving my elbow towards him. He took it, and I apparated the three of us to the Potter's house. I carried Olivia into the house. "James! Somebody! Help me!" I called. James and his parents rushed into the room, and gasped when they saw me. I had Olivia, unconscious, in my arms, along with a beaten and bloodied stranger.

"What happened?" Mrs. Potter gasped.

"I don't know. I found her being tortured. I was just able to escape."

"Bring her upstairs and lay her down in one of the beds," Mr. Potter commanded me. I nodded and brought her into my room. I gently placed her small body on the mattress before pulling the covers over her. I then took her hand, sat down next to her, and waited for her to wake up. I would get answers then.


	9. I Love You Isn't Enough

Chapter 9: I Love You Isn't Enough

OPOV

_I was running. I passed trees, flowers, grass, and animals. I heard footsteps behind me, but I didn't turn around. I needed to get away from my pursuer as quick as possible, because once they found me, I was dead._

_I knew not to call for help: it would only let them know where I was. I was all alone. My friends had left me, horrified with what I had done. Even Remus, the werewolf, wouldn't speak to me._

_I jet of red light flew past my ear and I collapsed onto the ground. My body fell on top of my right leg, crushing the bone. I screamed out in pain, but no one came to help me. Instead, a pair of rough hands grabbed my shoulders and flipped me onto my back._

_I looked into the face staring at me with shock. A tall, thin man was looking at me with hunger. He was bald with smooth skin as white as snow. His scarlet eyes were wide and sunken into his face. His nose was flat like a snake's with thin slits for nostrils. _

_His long, bony fingers wrapped around my arms. He lifted me off the ground and pulled my closer to him. His foul breath hit my face, and it took all my will power not to recoil from disgust. He stared down at me and a thin smile spread across his ghostly face._

_At that instant, his face moved towards mine. I tried screaming out, but his moth silenced me. He forced his tongue into my throat and there was nothing I could do to stop him. I tried pushing him off me, but I was too weak, and he was more than twice my size._

_His hands moved down my body until they reached the hem of my tee shirt. He yanked it over my head then threw me on the ground, where he landed on top of me, slowly removing my jeans. I looked off to the side and let the tears fall down my cheeks. I remained as quiet as I could, hoping it would all end soon. A rat scampered over towards me and climbed on top of my arm. He fixed his beady eyes on me and watched as I was violated. I noticed he was missing a toe on his left paw._

_I felt his cold hands roaming my body, so I focused on something else to distract me. Off to the side, there was a tall man staring down at me. He made no move to help me or get my attacker off me. There was a smoking pile of something next to me, so I looked at that. When I focused all my attention on it, I realized it was a pile of bodies. I didn't recognize anyone until I got to the top of the pile._

_My parent's lifeless bodies were there. On top of them was Claire Lynch, her eyes vacant of any kind of expression. Her tangles red curls wrapped around her face and partially covered her mouth. A trail of blood trickled away from her lips, and her body was contorted in an unnatural way. I moved my eyes upwards and saw a pair of bodies I hoped I would never have seen. Lily and James were lying on the very top of the smoking pile. Lily's empty eyes met mine and I screamed._

"Olivia! Love!" someone shouted. I opened my eyes and looked around. I was sitting on a bed in a room I didn't recognize. I felt someone's arms around me, rubbing my back, and their lips on the top of my head, kissing me lightly. I screamed louder.

"Who are you?" I shouted, trying to push them off me. Tears were pouring down my cheeks as I tried to get free. Whoever this was, he was going to kill me. I knew he was, and I needed to get away as soon as I could.

"Olivia, it's Sirius," the voice said. I stopped struggling and looked up. Sure enough, Sirius Black had his arms wrapped around me and was looking at me, worry etched across his face. "Love, are you okay?"

"Where—where am I?" I whispered, looking around the room. The walls were painted dark blue with a white design etched into them. On the walls, there were posters and pictures hanging. On the table next to the bed, there was a frame with a picture of Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter standing arm in arm, all of them with huge grins on their faces.

"You're safe, Olivia. You don't need to worry. I rescued you and your friend from your house last night." He stroked my cheek with his finger before turning my face towards him. His silver eyes gazed into my blue ones."

"My friend?" I croaked. My throat was dry and my body ached all over. It felt nice lying on this bed in Sirius's arms. I wanted to stay like this forever.

"Yeah, the guy with brown hair who was all beat up." Maybe I was imagining it, but Sirius sounded slightly jealous.

"Oh, that's Richard Williamson," I said quietly, letting my head drop onto his shoulders. I was positive he was going to push me away, but instead, he pulled me closer and buried his face in my tangles curls. I still wasn't sure where I was or what I was doing here, but I wasn't going to worry about it for right now. I was safe, and Sirius was talking to me.

For a while, the two of us just laid on his bed, not saying anything. Every so often, his hand would stroke my arm or rub my back, but he remained silent. That was nice, since I still didn't want to think about what had happened last night. I didn't want to think about my parent's lifeless bodies, and the fact that it was my fault they were dead.

"Olivia?" Sirius asked quietly. I lifted my head and turned to look at him. "What's going on? I arrive at your house last night and find you there, being tortured by my cousin, a known Death Eater. Your parents are there, already dead, and some other guy is there, lying on the floor with the shit beat out of him."

"It's nothing," I mumbled.

"Nothing?" he said with disbelief. "Nothing would be dropping a bowl of soup on the floor. Being tortured by Death Eaters is not 'nothing.' What's been going on with you this year? You've been acting strange, and the only person who seems to know anything about it is Remus Lupin—"

"Well, Remus Lupin is the only one who is making an effort to find out what's wrong!" I snapped, pushing him away from me. "You've sat next to me every potions class without saying a word to me, then you shag every girl in our year and snog them in front of me in the Great Hall, and now you expect me to tell you everything that's going on in my life? You have a lot to learn about women, Black."

He looked at me, shocked.

"Now, my parents are dead, I was tortured mercilessly by a sadistic Death Eater who wants to see my blood spill, my house is destroyed, and I have nowhere to go." The truth of that statement hit me like a ton of bricks—with my parents gone, I had no family left. I pulled my knees into my chest and started sobbing.

"Olivia, don't cry," Sirius said, putting an arm around my shoulders. "Everything is going to be okay. I'm sure Mom and Dad would love to have you stay here with us. Everything is going to be fine."

I gazed into his eyes, tears dripping out of mine. "You're only saying that because you don't know what's happening!" I dropped my head back on to tops of my knees and sobbed harder.

"Then tell me!" he said fiercely, grabbing my shoulders and spinning me towards him. "Tell me what happened!"

"I—I—I can't," I said, looking at a spot on his comforter. "I can't tell you."

"You can't tell me, but you can tell Remus," he said icily.

"Remus understands," I responded. "He understands in a way you can't!"

"Maybe I could if you'd give me a chance!" He was glaring at me with fire in his eyes. I looked away from his face again. I knew I would have to tell him eventually if there was ever any hope of us getting back together, but I couldn't right now. Not right after the Death Eaters had killed my parents.

"Sirius, I want to tell you. Believe me, I do. But—I honestly can't. At least not yet." I looked up at him again, expecting to see anger. Instead, I saw confusion.

"Not yet?" he asked.

"No," I said softly. "I will tell you. I promise I will. You just have to give me time."

"How much time?"

"I don't know," I said, shaking my head. I reached over and took his hand in mine, then looked into his eyes once more. "I love you. I know it's a little late for that, but I thought you should know. When I was gone, I spent every moment thinking about you."

"Then why didn't you write me?" he asked, his voice breaking.

"I wasn't allowed. If I'd had the chance, I would have written you a hundred letters a day. And even though you hate me, I thought you should know I still love you. When you treat me like dirt, I love you. When you glare at me during class, I love you. When you pretend not to see me in the common room, I love you. No matter what you do to me, I will always love you."

He looked at me, not letting go of my hands, and remained silent.

"I—I—I want to love you, but I don't know if I can," he finally admitted.

"You what?" I asked.

"I don't know if I can ever go back to the way we were before. I thought you were never coming back, so I moved on. I don't know how we can be together if you won't trust me with the truth."

I looked down and picked at the black polish that was starting to chip on my toenails. I looked everywhere in the room except at the boy who was sitting on the bed in front of me.

"Olivia, I need to ask you one thing," he said, his voice strained. I looked up at him. "Did you kiss Remus?"

"Wha—what kind of ridiculous question is that?" I stuttered, trying to keep my cheeks from turning red.

"Well, did you?" he asked again.

"Sirius, what do you think? I love you, not Remus."

"It bothers me that you're not answering the question," he said softly. "Did you or did you not kiss Remus Lupin."

I stayed silent without meeting his eyes.

"Olivia, answer the damn question!"

"Yes," I whispered. "Yes, I kissed him."

Sirius obviously wasn't expecting that answer, because all the color disappeared from his face. "You what?"

"It was one night. I was sad and lonely, and he was there."

***

_October 1977_

"_Why does it have to be like this?" I sobbed into Remus's chest in the empty Transfiguration classroom. I had spent the better part of the evening watching Sirius suck face with Kara Moore before it was too much and I ran out of Gryffindor tower. Remus, of course, followed me to make sure I was okay and not about to Avada Kedavra myself._

_I wiped my eyes and looked up at Remus. "I mean, he belongs with me. How long is it going to take him to realize that?"_

"_Olivia, you just have to give him time," Remus consoled, smoothing my hair as I leaned against his chest again and broke down into tears. "He'll come back to you when he realizes all these other girls are skanks and you love him for him, not for how good he is in bed."_

_I laughed at that. "That is true. You can't tell me Kara genuinely likes Sirius—she's slept with half the boys in the school."_

"_You see? There's no reason to feel sad about this. It will all work out in the end, I promise."_

"_Remus, why are you so good to me?" I asked, shifting my head from his chest to his shoulder. "I mean, I'm not doing anything in return for you. All I'm doing is burdening you with all the problems in my life."_

"_Well, I genuinely like spending time with you. You're nice, funny, beautiful,—"_

"_Wait, what was that last one?" I asked, sitting up quickly._

"_Beautiful? Come on, Olivia. You have to know how beautiful you are and the inappropriate thoughts you cause half the boys in our year to have."_

"_Do I really?" I asked. "I always thought Sirius was the only one who thought I was remotely pretty."_

"_Why would you think that?" he asked._

"_I mean, look at me! I'm awkward."_

"_Olivia, you are anything but awkward. You have a perfect body, gorgeous curls, a cute face, and a sparkling personality to match your outer beauty."_

"_Do you really think that?" I whispered._

"_Of course I do! If you weren't hopelessly in love with Sirius, I would have asked you out by now. Don't look at me like that," he added when he saw my jaw had dropped. "I may be your friend, but I am a man, too. Spending all this time with you obviously causes me to wonder what would happen if we did date."_

"_You mean—you like me?" I asked quietly._

"_I don't know," he admitted. "I think you're pretty and I love hanging out with you, but I don't know if these are just friendly feelings, or if they're something more."_

"_Well, maybe who we love isn't always best for us. Maybe we should just try to find love with someone who would be good for us."_

"_What—" Remus started, but I cut him off with my lips meeting his. I threw my arms around his neck and pulled his body close to mine. I swung my left leg over so I was seated in his lap, facing him, making it easier to kiss him. _

_At first, Remus seemed shocked, but once I stuck my tongue in his mouth, he got more into it. He placed his hands on my hips and pulled me closer so our bodies were mashed tightly against one another. Then, he moved his hand down and began stroking my leg._

_Kissing Remus was great, but I didn't feel anything. I didn't feel the desire to go further with him, so I knew this would never work. Before I could pull away, Remus stopped._

"_I'm sorry, Olivia," he apologized. "I just can't do this."_

"_Really?" I asked, relieved that he wasn't feeling anything._

"_It's not you, I promise. It's Claire. When I'm kissing you, I just keep wishing it were her. I am so sorry."_

"_Remus, don't sweat it. I was just about to pull away."_

"_Sirius?" he asked. I nodded. "Girl, you are hopeless. Even when you kissing a sexy werewolf, you can't stop thinking about your less sexy ex-boyfriend."_

_I laughed before leaning against Remus's shoulder again. "I guess I'm not meant to be with anyone except him."_

"_It'll be all right, Olivia," Remus said, kissing the top of my head. "You just wait and see."_

***

"I am so sorry, Sirius. It didn't mean anything, and Remus and I are just friends."

I looked over at the person I was head over heels in love with, and I saw he had his eyes closed and his fists clenched, causing his knuckles to turn white.

"You mean to tell me you and Remus both lied when you said there was nothing going on between you two," he said in a controlled voice.

"Sirius, it was one time! It didn't mean anything! I'm in love with you!"

"Yet you made out with my best friend. For someone who is supposedly devastated we're not together anymore, you have a funny way of showing it!"

"Ugh, I can't believe you! You are such a hypocrite. You've spent the first term chasing anything in a skirt and sticking your dick in it. I don't know why I would even _want_ to get back with you now. I'm probably going to catch something being in the same room as you."

"I don't know how I ever loved a whore like you."

"Well, it takes one to know one!" I spat back at him. He looked at me, stunned. "Now, if you've finished calling me names and insulting me, would you leave so I can shower and wash all the blood off me."

He shot me a glare before turning on his heel and stomping out of the room. When he had slammed the door, I sighed and laid back on his bed. I didn't know when things had gotten so bad between Sirius and me, but I was pretty sure they couldn't get any worse than they were at this moment right now.

I walked into his bathroom, grabbed a towel, turned on the shower, and climbed in. The hot water felt nice flowing down my back. I grabbed a washcloth, poured some soap on it, and started scrubbing. I spent the next 20 minutes in the shower scrubbing all the blood off my body. I looked down at the water by my feet and saw it had all turned red. I had to force myself not to vomit at the sight.

Once my skin was completely clean, I grabbed a bottle of shampoo and poured it in my hair, working it into my curls, which were currently dirty and sweaty. Half an hour later, I turned off the water and wrapped the white fluffy towel around my body. I stepped out of the shower and walked back into Sirius's room.

I let out a shriek when I saw someone sitting on the bed. "Oh, Williamson, it's only you," I sighed, breathing heavily. "You scared me. What can I do for you?"

"Miss Parker, we need to discuss what is going to happen with you now that your parents have died. The Ministry has realized that the Dark Lord is determined to have you, and he will stop at nothing to have you. As it seems, no place is safe for you."

"Do you mean I have to go on the run again?"

"No. Mr. and Mrs. Potter have agrees to allow you to stay here. Their house will be guarded at all times by the best aurors the Ministry has. We will put all sorts of protective enchantments on the house to make sure they also remain safe while you are not here."

"Why did you tell them this was necessary?" I asked.

"The Minister came and told them the situation. They have promised not to tell anyone, including their son. James believes you are only staying here since your family died, which is true. Miss Parker, everything will be all right," he added, seeing my sad face. "We will protect you this time. Lord Voldemort will not get anywhere near you as long as Richard Williamson is here."

I felt safe for the first time since I left school.


	10. New Year's Resolutions

Chapter 10: New Year's Resolutions

**AN: Ooh, thanks for the reviews, all!**

SPOV

"Padfoot, what are you doing?" James's voice interrupted my moping. I lifted my head off the dining table and saw him standing in the doorway, looking at me with a strange face.

"Contemplating the reason for my miserable existence," I replied without any enthusiasm. "Oh, and figuring out how to cause Remus Lupin as much harm as I possibly can."

James rolled his eyes. "What did the wolf do this time?"

"He kissed Olivia," I growled. "She just told me upstairs. It was in October in the Room of Requirement. You know, when he told us nothing was going on between them." I gripped the edges of the table to stop myself from breaking anything.

"Seriously?" he asked, looked surprised. "I always thought Moony would wait for Claire to hook up with someone. I guess I owe Peter 5 sickles…"

"Prongs! Can you please pay attention for more than five seconds, which I know is hard to do when your brain is the size of a pea."

"Hey, I resent that. I'll have you know I am one of the top students in our year."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Can we not ignore the fact that Remus, who is supposed to be one of my closest friends, came on to Olivia and made out with her? Can we not forget that I still have feelings for her?"

"Do you?" James asked. "You haven't been acting like it over the past four months. Every time you see her, you either ignore her, make a snide remark, or snog whatever chick you're banging that week. It seems to me that Remus had every right to kiss her. You were making no efforts to get back with her, and she was sad, lonely, and willing."

"Whose side are you on?" I thundered, jumping to my feet and glaring down at my best friend.

"Calm down, Padfoot. I think you're getting worked up over nothing. I mean, they're not together now, are they?"

"…no. Remus is in love with Claire, and Olivia is…"

"Olivia is what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I sighed. "She's in love with me."

"What are you doing down here?" he asked suddenly. "Get up there and make up with her! Kiss her and have the best make up sex of your life!"

"I can't," I said quietly.

"And why the hell not?"

"Because I was a jerk and called her a whore."

"Padfoot," James said, shaking his head. "You may be good looking, but you have a lot to learn about women. For someone who is supposedly smart, you can be real dense at times."

"What?"

"You never call the girl you love a whore. I mean, that's like basic manners. Didn't your mother ever teach you that?"

"The only things my mother ever taught me were to abuse house elves and worship Voldemort."

"Oh, right. Sorry mate, I forgot."

"It's okay," I said, sitting back down at the table. "I mean, I'm not living with her anymore, so I don't have to put up with her ridiculous Pure-blood mania." James was about to say something, but he was interrupted by the arrival of his parents.

"Hello, boys," Mrs. Potter said, taking a seat next to me. Mr. Potter sat on the other side of the table next to James.

"Hey, Mum. What's going on? What happened with Olivia, and who's that guy with her? I know I've seen him somewhere before."

"James, I can't tell you anything right now. All I can tell you is that Olivia's parents were killed last night, so she's going to be staying with us for a little bit."

"Really?" I asked. That was news to me.

"Really, so you better stop this ridiculous grudge you're holding against her. It needs to stop or so help me, I will kick you out and make you go back to Wallaburga!"

"You…you wouldn't!" I gasped.

"Oh, I would. Now start acting like a gentleman or you're going to find yourself on the streets. Now, who wants lunch?"

***

Over the next few days, I was put to work by Mrs. Potter to prepare the house for the big New Year's party the Potter's threw every year. Lily had arrived the day after Christmas, and every moment she wasn't with James, she was with Olivia.

After hanging what felt like the 500th wreath, Mrs. Potter let me have a break. I walked towards the kitchen to grab something to eat, but it was already occupied. Olivia and her friend, the older guy I had rescued from her house, were hunched over the kitchen table, arguing about something. I hung back in the hallway, trying to listen in.

"…I don't see why you won't let me go," she was saying.

"Miss Parker, you know exactly why! It's an unnecessary risk. He is going to have people there looking for you. Do you really think your parents would have wanted you to be taken when they gave their lives for your safety?"

"No," she sighed, resting her head on the top of the table. "I just wish I could go and say goodbye to them. And I still don't see why you won't let me tell everyone what happened."

"Miss Parker, can you really trust these people not to reveal your whereabouts?"

"Of course I can. And stop calling me Miss Parker!" she snapped at him.

"Sorry, Olivia. How can you be sure? You remember what happened to Robert Thomas—they're still looking for his torso."

"I know what happened, but that was a different situation. Thomas was an idiot who told to anyone who would listen who was after him. There was a reward for his whereabouts, so someone was bound to turn him in."

"There's a reward for your capture, too," the man said quietly.

"What?" she shrieked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought it would upset you.

"Of course it would upset me. Are you out of your fucking mind? How could you keep this from me? How long have you known about this?"

"Since November. Frank Longbottom and his fiancée, Alice Prewett—you remember them, don't you?"

"Of course I remember them. Alice brought me back to the Ministry after the attack. What about them?"

"Well, they've been tracking people we know are involved with him—people like the Lestranges—and seeing what they've been doing."

Lestrange? As in my psychotic cousin Bellatrix, her husband, and his brother? What did Olivia have to do with them besides being the victim of Bellatrix's torturing?

"And?" Olivia asked.

"Well, they found out she was going to all the wizarding families—even those who weren't Pureblood—and offering them lots of gold for information on your whereabouts. Of course, they know you're at Hogwarts, but they haven't been able to find you outside of the school."

"How did they find my parents?" she whispered. "I thought you were the Secret-Keeper? How did they find us if you didn't tell them?"

"I don't know, Olivia. You know He has access to the darkest forms of magic—maybe he found some way to gain the location without getting it from me."

I heard her sigh. "I'm sick of living like this. I want to just tell everyone what is going on. Do you know how hard it is to keep this secret from everyone? There is no possible way for me to get back together with Sirius when I can't tell him."

"Olivia, you know what could happen if you tell everyone—I still can't believe you told Mr. Lupin!"

"I know, but you don't understand the relationship I have with these people. They're my friends. They're trustworthy. None of them would _ever_ sell me out, not even Peter Pettigrew. They are the most loyal group of people you will ever meet because they would rather die than betray their friends."

"The answer is still no."

"Ugh, I can't take this anymore. I'm going back upstairs to think." I heard her chair scrape against the floor.

"Olivia Parker!" the man's voice said sharply. "You may not like me very much at the moment, but I am your only hope of survival. Now, the Minister and I have come up with this plan for your own safety. Don't you think we have your best interests in mind?"

"I suppose you do. But can't I at least tell—"

"No!"

Can't she at least tell who? Me? Lily? James? Someone else?

"Olivia, you CANNOT tell anyone! You have to keep this a secret, or your safety could be jeopardized."

"I—I'm sick of being all alone in this," she whispered. "I hate not having anyone to confide in about everything that's happening. Don't get me wrong, you've been awesome, but it would be nice to tell my best friend, or tell someone I love."

"Maybe in a few months we can talk about this again," the man said reluctantly.

"Thank you, Mr. Williamson!" she squealed. I tiptoed back to the living room to finish decorating. James was standing by the fireplace, hanging garland while Lily was sitting on the couch watching him. My face must have been showing how I was feeling after listening to Olivia talk to Mr. Williamson, because Lily gave me a look.

"What's up with you?" she asked.

"Do you think something's going on with Olivia?" I asked quietly.

"Going on?" James asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean like she's in some kind of trouble. I just overheard her talking to that guy who's staying here with her, and he was saying something about someone looking for her and how she can't tell anybody about what's really going on."

"Are you serious?" Lily gasped, bringing her hand to cover her mouth, which was now wide open. "Well, she's been different ever since she came back to Hogwarts this year. She's supposed to have been at Beauxbatons, but every time I ask her about it, she clams up or changes the subject. I don't think she was really there."

"Maybe You-Know-Who was after her family, and they were hiding," James suggested.

"Don't you think that sounds a little far-fetched?" Lily said, giving James a look. "I mean, no offense to Olivia and her family or anything, but doesn't You-Know-Who usually go after people who are actively fighting against him? I know Olivia and her parents don't like him, but they try not to ruffle any feathers. After all, that's the only way to be safe now."

"You're right, that was a stupid idea," James admitted. "I was just thinking aloud."

"It's okay, baby," Lily said, getting up and gently kissing James on the lips.

"Hey! You three get back to work!" Mrs. Potter's voice came, echoing in the room. James and I sighed before grabbing the rest of the decorations that needed to be hung up.

***

OPOV

"Olivia, that looks amazing on you!" Lily gushed as I showed her the dress I was wearing for New Year's. "Can I just say how fucking jealous I am of you?"

"Of me?" I asked, spinning around to see every side of my body in the mirror. "Why would you be jealous of me?"

"Because you look perfect in everything. You have the right amount of boobage to fill out any dress, you're not too tall, so nothing looks too whorish on you, and you're skinny as a fucking twig, so everything fits. Plus, you have a nice ass."

"Thanks…I think."

"I mean, I couldn't wear that dress because it would clash with my hair," she sighed, sinking down onto my bed. "Mine is just boring black while you get to wear a pretty coral color. Like I said, so fucking jealous."

"Well, are you going to get dressed now?" I asked, trying to keep my perfectly made up cheeks from turning bright red. "The party starts soon."

"Ugh, it'll take me five seconds to get ready. I already have my hair and makeup done—I just need to pull on my dress and shoes." She got up off the bed and started walking out of my room before she stopped and turned to face me. "Sirius won't be able to resist you tonight." She winked before leaving.

I shook off my nerves as I pulled on my pair of silver sky-high stilettos. I checked in the mirror to make sure my makeup hadn't smeared and my hair was still in place before walking out of my room and heading downstairs. When I got to the kitchen, Williamson was sitting at the table by himself in a pair of dark slacks and a blue button-down shirt. His eyes widened when he saw me.

"Olivia, you look very nice," he gasped, getting up and walking over to me.

"Aww, thanks, Williamson. I just hope Sirius thinks I look nice, too."

"How could he not? You are nothing short of breathtaking."

I smiled widely at him. At that moment, James walked into the kitchen with his arm around Lily. Lily was in a short black dress with a single shoulder strap. She was black strappy sandals on her feet, and her hair was pulled back into a pretty bun.

"Lils, you look incredible. Now it's my turn to be jealous of you."

"Thanks, Olivia," she said. At that moment, there was a knock at the door. The guests were here. Time for the party to begin.

***

Three hours into the party, and I was trashed. I'd had about 3 shots too many of fire whiskey and not enough food to absorb the alcohol. I was stumbling around the room and bumping into older witches and wizards who were trying to have civilized conversations.

I tried looking for Lily and James, but gave up when the room started spinning. I started staggering towards the door when I felt my feet give out and my body started crashing towards the ground.

"Whoops, there you go," a familiar voice said as a pair of arms caught me.

"Remus?" I slurred, trying to find his face in my very blurry field of vision.

"Hey, Livy," he said, using his nickname for me. "Looks like you could use a hand…or a set of arms." He chuckled as he put his arm around my waist and started walking me across the room.

"Thanks," I tried to say, but my tongue felt too heavy in my mouth.

"So…how much did you have to drink tonight?" he asked. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Just three glasses of wine," I said as my head lolled onto his shoulder.

"And how many shots?" he asked. Damn, he knew me too well.

"Five," I said reluctantly. Remus lowered me into a chair and knelt down in front of me.

"Livy, you _know_ you can't handle that much alcohol—don't you remember the end of fifth year?"

"Sure I do," I said as I started sliding out of the chair. Remus quickly grabbed me and sat me up straight. "You, me, Sirius, James, and Peter were in the Room of Requirement to celebrate the end of O.W.L.s. I took six shots of fire whiskey and drank an entire bottle of rum by myself before passing out. When I woke up, I puked my guys out while Sirius held my hair back."

"Ha, I remember that," he laughed, keeping his hands on my hips to prevent me from falling out of the chair. "Livy, why did you drink so much tonight? You're around your friends—you should be having fun, not getting hammered."

"Ded ylu now Vetor At es her?" I mumbled incoherently.

"Uh, what?" he asked, looking at me strangely.

"Did. You. Know. Victoria. Watson. Is. Here," I said, accentuating each word clearly.

"Oh, no," he said, glancing around to see if he could spot her.

"She and Sirius went upstairs two hours ago," I said.

"And when exactly did you start drinking?" He raised his eyebrows at me.

"About two hours ago."

"I see." He smiled at me while I flopped to the left.

Lily and James came up to us then, both with huge grins on their faces. Lily had a glass of wine in her hand while James had a bottle of butterbeer. He had his arm draped over her shoulders and he planted a kiss on her forehead.

"What's up with her?" Lily asked, pointing at me.

"Olivia had a _little_ too much to drink." To prove his point, I started sliding out of the chair again. Remus grabbed me and pulled me back into the seat. Williamson walked up at that moment, saw Remus holding me in the chair, and looked worried.

"What happened?" he asked, taking in my disheveled appearance and collapsed form. "Did someone hurt her?" he asked, the panic in his voice rising.

"Dude, relax," James said. "She's just a little drunk."

"Yeah, Williamson, it's not like one of the Death Eaters found out I'm here."

"Olivia!" Williamson shouted, glowering at me.

"Wait, what?" Lily asked, looking from me to Williamson. "What do you mean the Death Eaters haven't found out you're here?"

"Come with me," Williamson hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the chair. I stumbled as Williamson pulled me into a corner far away from everyone else. He sat me down in the chair, then turned his furious eyes on me. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What?" I slurred as I tilted to the left.

"Have you lost your mind? Why the _hell_ would you tell people Death Eaters are looking for you?"

"I don't know."

"Olivia, what don't you understand about don't tell anyone? I'm trying to keep you alive, but you keep petting yourself in danger!"

"No I don't," I lied.

"Really?" he huffed. "Then how do you explain confiding your secret to a werewolf, wandering alone in the Forbidden Forest, and getting so drunk at a party that you almost let it slip to everyone that Lord Voldemort is searching for you!"

"You-Know-Who's searching for you?" someone gasped. I looked over Williamson's shoulder and saw Lily standing there, gaping at us. "I came over to see if everything was okay. This is the secret you've been keeping, isn't it?" she asked me. I hung my head, but that might have been in response to the alcohol instead of shame. "How could you not tell me, Olivia? I'm your best friend!"

"Keep your voice down!" Williamson growled at her. "We don't need everyone here knowing that!"

"Olivia!" Lily said, ignoring Williamson and grabbing my shoulders. "How could you not tell me this? I thought you trusted me! I thought we told each other everything! Apparently I was wrong." I saw a tear fall from her right eye before she spun on her heel and stormed away from me.

"Lily," I slurred, trying to get out of the seat, but it was useless with Williamson holding me down.

"No," he ordered. "You can't explain everything to her. You have to stay here before you tell _everyone_ he's after you. How could you be so stupid, Olivia?"

"I'm making a New Year's resolution right here," I said as my eyes started drooping closed.

"That you're going to be smart and listen to me when I tell you don't tell anyone anything?"

"No. I'm going to be honest with everyone. That means when they ask me about what I did last year, I'm going to tell them the truth. And I'm going to start that with Lily."

Williamson looked furious with me as I smiled smugly at him. As everyone counted down to midnight, I made another resolution. I would get Sirius Black back even if it killed me.


	11. Let's Make a Deal

Chapter 11: Let's Make a Deal

**AN: Thank you, reviewers!**

OPOV

The next day, I woke up, expecting to clear things up with Lily. I don't care what Williamson said, I was going to fix things with my best friend. After all, if I didn't have her, who could I talk to? I climbed out of my bed at Potter Mansion and pulled on my pink robe over my silk nightgown. I slipped on a pair of slippers and walked down the stairs, expecting to see Lily sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast.

Instead, Williamson was sitting there drinking a cup of coffee while Minnie the house elf served him an omelet with bacon and toast. Mr. Potter was on his left reading _The Daily Prophet_ while James and Sirius were chowing down on their plates of pancakes. The only person who was missing was Lily.

"Has anyone seen Lily?" I asked, finally making my presence known. Everyone looked up at me. It was then I realized they were all dressed, and I was the only person still in my pajamas.

"Uh, she went home last night," James said. "She seemed really upset, but she wouldn't tell me what was wrong. All she said was she didn't know who her real friends were anymore."

Shoot. I really screwed things up with Lily. I had to talk to her to make her understand, even if it meant breaking Williamson's rules.

"Olivia," James continued. "Did something happen last night? I saw Lily go over to you, and the next time I saw her, she was crying and saying how she wanted to go back to her house. I saw her shouting at you before that, and I want to know if you said something to upset my girlfriend."

"Lily found out I lied to her, and now she thinks I don't trust her with anything."

"What did you lie to her about?" James asked. I looked over at Williamson and saw him give me a warning look. Right, don't spill the beans on the whole Dark-Lord-wants-you-for-his-mate secret. Gotcha.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it, James."

"Nothing?" Sirius asked, looking at me for the first time since I had come down the stairs. "Would 'nothing' have to do with you and your mysterious friend over here having a heated conversation in the kitchen a few days before the party?"

"I—I don't know what—what you're talking about," I stuttered, avoiding his harsh gaze.

"Oh, I think you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about, Olivia," he snarled, glaring at me. "You know, things involving unnecessary risks, rewards for your capture, Bellatrix Lestrange, secrets…any of this ringing a bell?"

Crap. Crap, crap, crap. Did he know what I was hiding, or was he still trying to figure it out?

"I don't know what's going on with you," he continued, "But I will find out. You may not want to tell me, but you can't keep something this big from me."

I glanced over at Williamson, who shook his head quickly.

"And another thing," Sirius added. "I haven't seen your mysterious friend over here at school once, but he seems to know everything that's going on there."

"Olivia, what the hell is going on with you?" James asked. "Sirius shows up with you in his arms unconscious. He says he found you being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange after she killed your parents. You're secretive and you refuse to tell anyone about your time at Beauxbatons."

"James, I can't talk about this now!" I said quickly before turning around and heading back upstairs. Shit, they were on to me. They had to know I was lying. When they found out (and I knew they would soon,) what would they do? Would they refuse to ever speak to me again for lying to them about something this big, or would they help keep me safe? That was the million-Galleon question.

I quickly slipped off my nightgown and pulled out a pair of black jeans, a white tank top, and a striped sweater. Once I was changed, I pulled on my beat up sneakers, threw everything back into my trunk, and rejoined everyone downstairs.

James and Sirius looked like they wanted to grill me some more about my whereabouts last year and the events last night, but a stern look from Mrs. Potter stopped them.

"You two better behave this term," Mrs. Potter warned them as we all walked towards the door. "If I get any more owls about you getting detention, I will send a Howler during breakfast that will make your faces turn redder than Gryffindor!"

"Yes, Mum," James said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before apparating to King's Cross station with his luggage. Sirius followed him. Williamson nodded once before disappearing just like the boys.

I was about to follow them when Mrs. Potter grabbed my arm.

"Olivia, may I talk to you for a moment?"

"Uh, sure," I said a little unsurely.

"I know you're in a very difficult situation right now, and I know you feel like you can't trust anyone with this secret, whether it is for your safety or their own. I know this isn't any of my business, and that I'm not your mother, but I think you should consider letting your friends in on the secret. I know the Minister said not to, but Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter are all wonderful people who would do anything to protect you."

"I know they would," I whispered, "But I can't put them in danger like that. When Sirius learns the truth, he'll either hate me forever or want to get back together. If we're together, You-Know-Who could use him to get me to give myself up, or he would kill Sirius. I would rather him be with someone else than have him get hurt because of me."

"Honey, you should give Sirius the chance to make that choice. You shouldn't keep him in the dark like this. I think he would be more hurt if he finds this out from someone else instead of you telling it to him yourself. Then again, what do I know? I'm just an old mom." She gave me a smile.

"Mrs. Potter, you're not old. And thank you for the advice. I have to think about it. And I need to talk to Lily."

She nodded once. "I know you'll figure everything out, Olivia. You're a smart girl. Have a good term." She kissed me on the top of the head before turning around and walking back into the house. I grabbed my trunk and concentrated on King's Cross Station. I felt the familiar squeezing sensation and I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I was standing next to James next to King's Cross Station.

We followed Williamson to the barrier and went through it one by one. When we boarded the train, I followed James and Sirius to their compartment, hoping to see Lily. She was sitting with Remus and Peter, but when she saw me, she turned to the window to avoid any possible eye contact with me.

I walked in, put my luggage above the seats, then took a seat next to Remus and across from Lily. I tried talking to her, but she just ignored. It looked like I had really screwed things up with her, but I didn't know how to fix it.

"Lily, please talk to me," I begged."I'm really sorry about what happened, but if you'd just give me a chance to explain myself, I could make everything right again!"

"Olivia, I'm supposed to be your best friend, and you've been lying to me ever since you came back to Hogwarts," she spat. "How do I know you haven't been lying to me about other things? How can I ever trust you again?"

"That's it!" I shouted, standing up. I grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the compartment and into the hall, searching for an empty compartment. Lily and I were going to talk this out, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

***

SPOV

"That's it!" Olivia shouted, jumping out of her seat. She grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her to her feet. The two of them left the compartment and walked down the hall of the Hogwarts Express. Peter, Remus, James, and I all looked at each other, unsure about what was going on.

"What was that all about?" Peter asked, looking at the door the two girls had just disappeared out of.

"No idea, mate," James said. "Olivia's been acting really weird since she and Lily got into a fight at the New Year's party."

"Olivia and Lily got into a fight?" Remus asked. Like usual, the werewolf was out of the loop. No surprises there.

"Yeah. Apparently, Olivia lied to Lily about something and she found out at the party. She was really upset and went home that night instead of staying at my house. I tried comforting her, but she wouldn't listen to me."

"Did she say what Livy lied about?" he asked, using that stupid nickname he had for Olivia. I tried to keep my fists in my lap and away from his face.

"No," James said, shaking his head. "It must have been really bad, though, because Lily kept talking about how Olivia was supposed to be her best friend and how she didn't know if she could ever trust her again."

"Shit," Remus muttered.

"What?" Peter asked.

"I'll be right back," Remus said, standing up and walking towards the door. He wasn't leaving without giving me some answers. I grabbed his arm and yanked him back. Remus may have been taller than me, but I was stronger than him. "Sirius, let go!"

"No," I snarled. "You know something that's going on with her, and I'm not letting you leave the compartment until you tell me what it is. I'm sick of her claiming to love me, then not telling me a damn thing. What is going on, Remus?"

"Sirius, it's not my place—"

"The hell it is!" I shouted. "What happened to her? Where was she really last year because she sure as hell wasn't at Beauxbatons Academy?"

"She was hiding!" Remus said loudly. "She was on the run all last year."

"From what?" I asked.

"Padfoot, use that tiny brain of yours. What do you _think_ she was hiding from? What is _everyone_ hiding from?"

"But…why? Olivia and her family have never been outspoken against You-Know-Who. They've never been supporters either."

"That you need to hear from Olivia personally. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Now, if you'll excuse me!" Remus left the compartment and headed after Lily and Olivia.

Wow. I sure as hell didn't see that one coming.

"Whoa," James said, staring straight ahead. "I never would have guessed that. I mean, Olivia is the last person I would think would need to hide from You-Know-Who."

"I know," I said. "Something just doesn't make sense. Why would You-Know-Who target her family? There's nothing he could gain from them. I just don't understand it."

"Mate, you have to talk to her. Ask her about it. Moony said they were hiding for a reason—the only way you're going to find that out is to ask her directly."

"But what if she won't tell me? Or what if she won't be alone with me?" I asked.

"Leave that to me, mate. Just meet me in the common room tonight, and I'll make sure I find somewhere for you and Olivia to talk. I'll get Lily to get Olivia to come, and you can finally get the answers you need."

"Are you sure you can manage that?" I asked skeptically.

"Mate, look who you're talking to," James said, arching his eyebrows. I laughed and leaned back in my seat. He was right. If anyone could pull this off, it was James Anthony Potter.

***

OPOV

With a tight grip on Lily's wrist, I pulled her through the halls of the Hogwarts Express, searching for an empty compartment for us to talk in. After walking what felt like the entire length of the train, I found one on the left. I slid the door open, pulled Lily in behind me, and shut the door.

I turned around to face Lily, who was sitting on the bench, not meeting my eyes.

"Lily, you need to hear my side of the story. All you heard was what Williamson foolishly said out loud. You made assumptions, and you didn't let me explain myself. I want you to trust me and believe me, and if that means telling you ever single little thing that happened last year, I will."

She looked up at me, her eyes shocked after absorbing what I had just said.

"Are you serious? You'll tell me everything?"

I nodded.

Her eyes narrowed. "How do I know you're not going to lie to me?"

"Lily, you know me. You know I can't lie for shit. I promise to be completely honest and answer any questions you might have."

"Okay," she said finally. "Where were you really last year?"

"All over the place. My parents and I were on the run, so we constantly had to move around. For the most part, I was living in a cave in the country with all sorts of magical protections around it to keep us hidden."

"But why were you running?" she pressed.

"We had to. You-Know-Who gave an order to his Death Eaters to capture me and bring me back to him—alive. They were also told to kill anyone who got in their way, including my parents."

"Why didn't you tell any of us you were leaving?"

"For two reasons. One, I wasn't allowed to by order of the Minister of Magic. I was prohibited from telling anyone what had happened or where I was going for safety reasons. The other reason was I didn't want you all worrying. If I had told you, you would have tried to stop me from leaving, or you would have spent all year freaking out about me, wondering if I was alive or dead. I couldn't put you through that."

"Why didn't you write?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

"I couldn't! I couldn't contact anyone, especially my friends. The Aurors knew You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters would be intercepting owls, trying to locate my whereabouts. It was a safety measure."

"But why was he after you in the first place?" she asked. This was the question I was dreading.

I took a deep breath. "You-Know-Who…desires me," I said quietly.

"Desires you? What the hell does that mean?"

"He wants me. Sexually."

"Eww!" she shrieked. "You can't be serious!"

"I am," I said sadly. "The Ministry doesn't know why, but he wants me, and he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants."

"So you've been hiding? Why did they allow you to come back this year?"

"I don't exactly know, but he hasn't been searching as vigorously for me since the Aurors killed some of his Death Eaters. Plus, I have a bodyguard at Hogwarts to make sure I'm safe."

"Who?" she asked.

"Rebecca. It's actually an Auror named Richard Williamson who's taking Polyjuice potion to look like a girl."

"Wow. That is really weird."

"But do you believe me?" I asked, looking at her. She had to believe me. She just _had_ to!

The compartment door opened. "Olivia, is everything okay?" Remus asked, looking from Lily to me.

"I believe you, Olivia," Lily said. "I can tell you're telling the truth. And I want to trust you again, but I want you to make me a promise."

"Anything," I said, happy my best friend was speaking to me again.

"I want you to promise me that if I ask you for a favor, you will do it, no questions asked."

"A favor?" I asked skeptically.

"Yes, a favor. If you promise me that, all will be forgiven."

"Okay, I promise," I said. Besides, what's the worst Lily could ask me to do?

***

Later that night, I was sitting in the common room by myself, looking over my essay for Professor McGonagall. We were supposed to write about Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, but I still missing one of the five exceptions. I was trying to remember all the exceptions when Lily walked up to me.

"Hey, best friend," she said cheerfully.

"Uh, hi?" I said, slightly confused. "What are you so happy about?"

"So, remember earlier when I made you promise me a favor?"

"Yes," I said, getting a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Well, I'm collecting on it. Follow me."

"But, I have to finish my essay." I waved the piece of parchment at her.

"You promised me Olivia," she pleaded. "You have to come!"

"Ugh, fine," I grumbled, putting the essay back in my bag. I got up from the chair and followed Lily out of the portrait hole. "Uh, Lily?"

"Yeah?" she asked, bouncing down the corridor.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see!" she sang. Her optimism was starting to freak me out, and I was getting worried about the favor she wanted me to do for her. Eventually, we came to a stop outside of a door. James was standing there, smiling.

"Hey, Olivia," he greeted me as Lily flitted to his side. "I thought you weren't coming."

"No, I got her. Besides, she owes me a favor."

I stood there, looking stupidly from Lily to James, unsure what we were doing.

"Well, go on in," Lily said, opening the door we were standing next to.

"Why am I going in there?" I asked hesitantly.

"Would you just get your ass in there?" Lily said, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside the room. The door slammed behind me, and I was plunged into darkness. I looked around, but I couldn't see anything.

"_Lumos" _a voice muttered. A small light appeared, and I was finally able to see where I was. It looked like a closet, and standing in front of me, holding a lit wand, was Sirius Black.

"Hey," he said, smiling at me.

"Hi," I said, backing into a wall. "What's going on?"

"I asked James and Lily to bring you here."

"Why?"

"Because we need to talk."

"We do?" I said stunned. The last time Sirius and I had interacted, he called me a whore. As far as I could tell, we were done with talking.

"Yes. I was talking to Remus today on the train, and he told us where you were last year."

"He did?" I gasped. "I'll kill that wolf when I get my hands on him," I growled under my breath.

"It's not his fault," Sirius said, defending Remus. "We kind of forced him to tell us. But he didn't tell us everything, and that's why I need to talk to you."

"Okay…"

"So tell me, why is You-Know-Who searching for you?"

**REVIEW??**


	12. A Gift to You

Hey all!

I'm taking a quick break from my very busy schedule of studying for finals to write this and give you an update. I know it's been forever since I've updated, so I wanted to let you know I haven't died or been abducted by aliens or something along those lines. I've just been super busy catching up on schoolwork and now studying for finals.

I also know you probably want me to update my stories. And I want to update too—I just haven't had much time!

So here is my promise to you—all of my stories that I am still updating (that haven't been completed or abandoned) will have a new, LONG chapter by December 25th. It's my Christmas gift to my devoted readers (aka YOU!) because I appreciate you and love every single one of you.

For those of you studying for finals GOOD LUCK and by next Friday, you will have a new chapter—I PROMISE!

Hugs and kisses,  
Mrs-Emmett-Cullenx3


	13. Now You Know

Chapter 12: Now You Know

OPOV

My back was pressed against the wall in this extremely small closet while Sirius Black, my ex-boyfriend, bored into me with his silver eyes. He was waiting for the answer to a question I had hoped he would never ask me. I took a couple of breaths, but didn't say anything. How was I supposed to tell him a man who was more than 30 years older than me wanted his faithful followers to bring me to him so we could fuck?

"Olivia?" he asked again, using his sweetest voice he knew I couldn't resist.

"I don't know," I snapped, looking at the ground so he couldn't see my face. Everyone knew that when I lied, my eyes would dart around in all directions and the corners of my mouth would pull down slightly.

"Olivia, how are we supposed to get back together if you won't tell me the truth?"

"Wh—what?" I stuttered, thrown off by what he had just said. I hadn't known us getting back together was even an option at this point.

"Well, isn't that why you're here? So we can get back together?"

"Sirius, I didn't even know where Lily was bringing me. All I knew was that I had to come or she would never speak to me on account of the fact that I lied to her. I didn't know you were going to be here. I didn't even know I was going to a broom closet. And besides, what makes you think I want to get back together?"

"Don't you?"

"No!"

"So you're a liar!" he spat at me.

"Excuse me?"

"You told me you still loved me right before Christmas, yet now you say you don't want to get back together?"

"Why would I want to get back together with an arrogant prick like you? You're a jerk to everyone, even the people you call your friends. You ignore me or treat me like dirt, snogging girls where everyone can see when you know how much it hurts me. It doesn't matter that I love you—I can't be with someone who has so little regard for other people's feelings."

"Well I can't be with someone who won't tell me the fucking truth!"

"You're a fucking asshole!" I snarled at him.

"You're a conceited bitch!" he retorted. I glared at him in the dark while the tip of his wand started sparking from all the anger flowing through his body. I tried to push against the wall, but it stayed put.

"I have a bodyguard!" I shouted at him. "Every move I make at this school is carefully watched by an Auror in disguise to make sure I don't do anything stupid like getting myself captured or telling anyone where I've been."

"So where were you?" he asked, taking a step towards me. His voice was softer now and he was no longer shouting. "I know you were in hiding," he added.

"I don't know where I was," I admitted. "My parents and I were on the run, and we kept moving from place to place. My last few months in hiding I was living in a cave in the middle of nowhere. I didn't have heating, running water, or clean clothes. My life was miserable."

"You didn't even have a house to live in?" he asked with a gentle expression on his face.

I shook my head. "We didn't have a choice. When You-Know-Who wants you, he gets you."

"When did you leave?"

"The day you gave me the necklace. I found out the night before, and that's why I ran out of your house. I couldn't tell you, and I just couldn't take you being so good to me when I was about to break your heart. It just wasn't right—that's why I couldn't tell you I loved you that day, even when I really did."

"Why does he want you? I mean, you and your parents have never been outspoken against him. You're not dark arts supporters, but you're not technically blood traitors either. You're just in the middle, and you're not exceptionally gifted in magic. No offense," he added quickly.

"None taken. No, he didn't want us because we refused to join him or anything like that In fact, he wasn't even after my parents. He was after me."

"Only you?" He reached forward and grabbed my hand.

I nodded."He—he—he—"

"Olivia," he said quietly, "You can tell me. I promise I won't get mad."

"I'm not worried about you getting mad. I just don't want to put you in danger."

"In danger?"

"Once you find out, they're going to be after you too. They'll kill anyone who gets in their way of delivering me to Him."

"Olivia, tell me why he wants you."

"Because he wants to fuck me!" I shrieked, breaking down into tears. Sirius gasped loudly before yanking my hand towards him. He wrapped his arms around me while I buried my face in his chest, sobbing. "He saw me and desired me from that moment on. He told his Death Eaters to bring me to him at all costs. I've been hiding, trying to stay hidden, because once I'm given to him, he'll screw me before killing me."

"Olivia, I didn't know," he said, resting his cheek against the top of my head. "I've been the world's biggest prat to you all year, and I had no idea what you were going through. You needed me to be there, and instead, I was chasing every girl in the school. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course I can forgive you. I love you, and I want to be with you. If you still want to be with me, knowing what kind of danger I'm putting you in."

Sirius loosened his arms and pulled me back so I could see his face. "Olivia Marie Parker, I will always want to be with you. I have wanted to be with you since I sat next to you third year in Charms and you accidentally spilled your entire bottle of ink into my lap."

I couldn't help it—I started laughing.

"Hey!" he protested. "I'm pouring my heart and soul out over here. Do you mind not laughing until I finish?" I nodded and locked my lips with an invisible key. "Like I was saying, I love you. I will never want anyone the way I want you."

"But what about—"

"The entire year you were gone, I didn't look at other girls. I hung around with James, Remus, Peter, Lily, and Leighton. I was depressed because I thought you ran away. I thought you left because I told you I loved you. I thought I freaked you out, so you transferred schools. Once you came back, I started going after other girls to get you out of my mind, except that every girl I was with reminded me of you. Taya had the curls, Kara had the eyes, Julie had the smile, and Taylor had the soft skin."

I looked at him blankly.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is I can't live without you. I want to be with you and get married to you and have babies with you and grow old together…"

I put a finger over his lips to stop his talking. "You want to marry me?" I asked.

"Well, yeah," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I mean, only if you want to get married."

I smiled widely. "Of _course_ I want to marry you! The entire time I was gone, I kept thinking about you. All I wanted was to see you again, to tell you I loved you and missed you."

He moved his hand slightly so our fingers were intertwined.

"You know what this means," I said.

"What?"

"You have to buy a ring and do it right."

"Do it right?" he asked with confusion in his voice.

"Propose to me, stupid. I don't consider you saying you want to marry me in a closet a proposal. So once you buy me a ring, you better get down on one knee and ask me to marry you the right way before someone else does. Deal?"

"Deal," he said before grabbing my face and pulling my lips to his. It was like nothing had ever happened to us—our lips fit together perfectly like they always had. His hot breath tickled my chin as he sucked on my lower lip. His hands roamed my body until they found the bottom of my shirt. He started tugging it up so my stomach was exposed.

He moved his lips to my throat and began sucking on the skin there. I wound my fingers in his hair while licking his earlobe. My body shivered involuntarily when he dragged his index finger slowly up my spine.

I hiked my right leg up and wrapped it around his waist, pulling him even closer to me. I jumped up and wrapped my left leg around him, so his arms were the only things keeping me from crashing to the ground. He cupped his hands underneath my butt and pushed my back into the wall.

My boobs pressed against his chest as he moved his lips to mine once more. He forced my mouth open and shoved his tongue down my throat. I wasn't complaining—it had been too long since we were together like this.

I pulled my mouth off his and moved to his neck, where I bit him. Hard.

"Fuck!" he shouted, moving his hands from underneath my butt to where I had just bitten. I had only been holding on to him loosely, so when I let go, I lost my hold, and came crashing down to the floor, knocking over a bucket in the process.

"Ouch," I muttered, rubbing my thigh, which had landed on a broom handle.

"What did you do that for?" he asked, rubbing his neck. "Oh, I'm sorry!" he said, bending down to help me to my feet.

"You're mine," I said, grabbing his shirt color and pulling him close to me. "And I want _everyone_ to know it." I kissed him lightly on the lips when the door flew open. Sirius and I both looked, and saw Lily and James standing there, both with big goofy grins on their faces.

"See? I told you nothing was wrong, Lils. They're just making up. Or making out." He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at Sirius.

"Did the second part really need to be said, James?"

"Sure it did!"

"Ugh, let's go back to the common room. I'm sure Olivia and Sirius want some privacy while they make up." Lily turned around, pulling James behind her.

"You mean make out," James said as they headed towards Gryffindor Tower. I heard the unmistakable sound of a hand connecting with flesh. "Ow, what was that for?"

"For being a pig!" I heard Lily and James bickering all the way, until they were in a separate corridor.

"So, we're boyfriend and girlfriend again?" Sirius asked once we were alone again.

"What about Victoria?" I asked.

"I told her it was over today. We had fun, but she's not you. She may look like you, but an imitation never compares to the original." He pulled me close to him, buried his face in my hair, and inhaled. "I missed this," he sighed.

"Missed what?"

"This smell. The perfect combination of strawberries and roses. The perfect smell of Olivia."

I looked up at hi, smiling, before resting my cheek against his chest. He felt so warm and safe that I didn't want to move out of this position.

"Is it bad that I'd rather stay here, cuddling with you in a broom closet, than go anywhere else in the world?"

"Of course not," I breathed into him. "I feel the same way. I'd rather just stay here with you instead of going back to the common room and face all our friends."

"Well," he said, "There is one place we could go to be alone. Come on," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the closet into the corridor. We walked to the seventh floor where Sirius walked past the tapestry three times in deep thought. The door to the Room of Requirement appeared, and Sirius led me inside.

The room was set up with a giant bed in the middle with soft colors decorating the walls. Sirius lifted me into his arms before walking over and laying me on the soft bed. Sirius climbed on next and laid down next to me, taking my hand and intertwining our fingers. I knew we still had more to talk about, but I was too tired to keep my eyes open.

"Go to sleep love," he whispered, kissing me lightly on the forehead. I closed my eyes and fell asleep instantly.

***

News that Sirius and I were back together spread fast. Apparently, Lily and James had told everyone they knew, who told everyone they knew, and it had snowballed from there. The next morning, when Sirius and I walked into the Great Hall together, Leighton ran to us and threw her arms around my neck.

"Oh, I'm so happy you two are back together!" she squealed. "You're like, the perfect couple!"

"Uh, not to be rude or anything, but how did you find out? It just happened last night!"

"Oh, Lily told me this morning when I was looking for you. I'm so happy! Oh, there's Amos. I'll see you two later!" She kissed me once on the cheek before running to greet her boyfriend.

"Well, that was interesting," I said, looking up at Sirius. "How many people do you think know?"

"I'm going to guess the entire female population in the Gryffindor house. Look," he said, pointing to the table. Almost every girl was staring at us, whispering to each other and giggling. Oh great. If there was one thing I loved more than being the subject of boy's fantasies, it was being the subject of gossip.

Sirius and I walked over to the table and took a seat by our friends. I sat between Remus and Sirius, resting my head on Sirius's shoulder.

"Love, I think you need to tell everyone what's been going on," Sirius said gently.

I looked up at him. "I guess you're right." I sat up straight and cleared my throat. "Well you all know how I transferred last year to go to Beauxbatons Academy?" James and Peter nodded, since they were the only people in our group who still didn't know. "Well, that's a lie. The Minister and the Aurors came up with that to explain why I would miss school for a year."

"Olivia!" a voice shouted. I turned around and saw Williamson, not in his disguise, standing there. He had a furious expression on his face, and I could imagine why. "Come with me," he said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me away from the table. He pulled me out of the Great Hall and into the empty Charms corridor.

Then, he began yelling.

"Where have you been? You disappeared last night and I heard that you didn't return to the dorms. I've been looking all over for you! You weren't with your friends this morning, and then I heard people talking, saying that you spent the night with Mr. Black and you two are together again. You remember what I said about this! How much did you tell him?"

"I—I—I—"

"Hey, leave her alone!" an angry voice shouted. Someone's hand rested on my waist, and I saw Sirius standing next to me. He was glaring at Williamson, playing the role of the protective boyfriend. "She didn't do anything wrong."

"Well, if you know what's going on with her, then she has! She was forbidden by the Minister of Magic himself to tell anyone about last year—especially you!"

"Me?" he asked.

"Yes you! You're from one of the oldest Pureblood families around. We know your cousin and her husband are Death Eaters, and it looks like your younger brother aspires to be one once he leaves Hogwarts. What's stopping you from running to them and telling them where Olivia is when she is out of Hogwarts?"

"Maybe the fact that I hate my family!" he snarled. "I haven't lived with them in over a year, so why would I tell them anything? Besides, I love Olivia and would never want anything to happen to her. I get that it's your job to protect her, but that's my job too!"

It was like an alpha male standoff. Both Sirius and Williamson had death glares on their faces, and I was pretty sure if I didn't do something, one of them was going to rip the other one's head off.

"Guys, can we chill with all the testosterone here for a sec?" I said, moving in between them. "Sirius, go back to breakfast. This is something Williamson and I need to discuss amongst ourselves."

"But—"

"I know you want to be here to protect me, but I can handle it, love." I kissed him on the cheek before pushing him away. He looked back at me once before heading back to the dining hall. "As for you," I said, looking at Williamson, "Sirius is nothing like his family! He ran away from them because he didn't agree with their Pureblood mania. For god's sake, he's friends with a werewolf and a Muggleborn!"

"I never said—"

"You didn't need to! I know you don't trust him—I can tell by the way you look at him. You think that just because he's a Black he's going to be like his evil, sadistic cousin Bellatrix, but he won't be!"

"I only—"

"I mean, shouldn't the fact that I love him be enough? I know Sirius would never betray me or any of his friends because he is the most loyal person I know. He never told me Remus was a werewolf, and he tells me everything."

"Olivia—"

"And yeah, I get the fact that his family is pretty evil and immersed in the dark arts, but that was why Sirius left them and moved in with James—he hated the fact that they thought anyone who had Muggle blood in their family was inferior to them. He's a better person than you think he is."

"OLIVIA!" he shouted. I stopped talking and looked at him. "I'm only looking out for your best interests, and everything I know about the Black family tells me they are not good people. The only one who has shown any kind of compassion is Andromeda Tonks, and she's been disowned from the family."

"Sirius was disowned!" I exclaimed, defending my boyfriend. "When he left the manor, his mother told him he was dead to her. Why would he have any loyalty left to them?"

"Well, I see your point, but I'm not entirely convinced, especially since it seems Regulus Black is being groomed to become a Death Eater in a few years."

"Regulus? Sirius's younger brother?" I asked. Williamson nodded his head. "Regulus may seem like he's on board with You-Know-Who's plans, but I don't think he is. I've met him, and he's a sweet kid. I can't see him doing the things Death Eaters do. I could never see him torturing someone for sport. It just isn't in his nature."

"We aren't here to talk about Regulus Black. We are here to talk about you and your disregard for keeping yourself safe. Every measure we've put down for your safety, you've disobeyed or found a way around it. Like your house—you gave the address to Mr. Black! How do you know he didn't give it to his cousin Bellatrix so she could find the place to bring you to the Dark Lord?"

"Because he wouldn't do that. Besides, Sirius had the slip of paper with the address when he arrived at the place to rescue me."

"But—"

"Williamson, I understand your concern, but Sirius is trustworthy. He won't betray me. He wants to marry me someday."

"I—what?"

"Sirius told me he wants to marry me. Why would he want to turn me over to You-Know-Who?"

"I don't know why many of the people loyal to the Dark Lord do the things they do, but it is my job to make sure you stay out of harm's way and the Dark Lord does not learn where you are outside of Hogwarts."

"I'm living with Sirius and the Potters! Why would he betray me? He would be putting himself in danger as well as me!"

"You—"

"Look, I'm done talking about this. I understand you don't like the situation, but there's nothing I can do about it anymore. Sirius and I are back together, and it's going to stay that way. There's nothing you can do about it, so I suggest you deal with it." I spun around and walked back into the Great Hall, leaving Williamson with his mouth open.

I sat down next to Sirius again and slid my hand into his.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"A minor irritation, but I took care of it," I said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Do you have to do that here?" James gagged. "I'm trying to eat." Sirius flipped him off as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"What are you guys still doing here?" Remus asked, walking up to us with his books in his arms. "We have Defense Against the Dark Arts in five minutes!" He pushed us out of our seats and ushered us down the corridor, making sure we made it to class in time.

Sirius and I took a seat next to each other while Williamson sat behind me next to Remus.

"Well, well, well," a voice sneered. I looked up and saw Jane Dow standing in front of my desk, looking down at Sirius and I. "Looks like the blood traitors got back together. How cute," she said sarcastically. She trailed her finger along my desk before aiming a painful kick at my left shin. I felt my eyes water as Jane walked by towards the back of the room.

"Ow," I whispered to Sirius. "That really hurt."

"Hey!" Sirius called to Jane, standing up and looking straight at her.

Jane slowly turned around to face Sirius. She had a smug look on her face. "What do you want?"

"Apologize to Olivia," he snarled in a voice he only used when he was extremely angry. I'd only heard him use it once before, and that was when I told him I kissed Remus.

"Why should I apologize to someone like her?" she said, her voice laced with contempt. "Olivia Parker is nothing but a dumb, whiny, good-for-nothing—"

"Shut your mouth!" Sirius roared, shooting daggers at Jane. "Olivia is the kindest, sweetest, most sincere person I have ever met, and I will not stand here while you insult her."

"Why not? You stood by for three months while I teased, taunted, and physically injured her. I guess you didn't care about her while you were broken up."

"SHUT UP!"

"I'd watch my temper if I were you, Black. You may not be involved in Pureblood society anymore, but I am. And I know things about your family that you are no longer privilege to. So unless you want your brother sent on a death mission, I'd watch my mouth."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm surprised Regulus hasn't told you himself, just to tick you off."

"Tell me what?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even. I reached over and took his hand in an attempt to calm him down.

"Well, it's not my place to say. I'll let Regulus tell you. That is, if he has the balls to man up and do it himself."

"Why you—"

"Alright, everyone take a seat," came a voice from the front of the room. Professor Ackerson, looking slightly ill after the Christmas holidays, was standing in front of her desk, looking at us. I tugged on Sirius's hand to make him sit down. Once everyone was in their seats, Professor Ackerson began the lecture about the effects of the Imperious curse. Instead of paying attention, I turned to Sirius.

"What was that about?" I whispered.

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "I haven't spoken to Regulus or my parents since I left my house over a year ago, so I have no idea what goes on in that place. My guess is that Regulus finally got his wish and has joined the Death Eaters."

"No!" I gasped. "He can't! He's so young—why would You-Know-Who want a kid who was still a student at Hogwarts?"

"How am I supposed to know? All I know is that Jane is somehow involved in this, but that doesn't surprise me."

"It doesn't?" I asked. "I mean, I know Jane is evil and twisted, but I never thought she was _that_ evil. How do you know she knows about this?"

"Because she and Antonin Dolohov are arranged to be married."

"Arranged?"

He nodded. "You wouldn't know this since your parents didn't believe in all the Pureblood mania, but a lot of the older Pureblood families arrange marriages between their kids when they are young to insure any children will also be Pureblood, keeping the blood free of any Muggle contamination. Of course, I was arranged to be married to someone, but I could care less about what my parents say."

"You're supposed to marry someone else?" I said quietly.

"Hey, don't give me any of that. Another man is searching for you so he can fuck you, yet I'm still here, pledging to spend the rest of my life with you."

"You're right," I sighed.

"Something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?" a stern voice asked. I looked up and saw Professor Ackerson standing in front of our desk.

"Uh, no ma'am," I stuttered.

"I would appreciate if you two would pay attention when I am speaking. , Miss Parker. Ten points from Gryffindor and detention with me tonight. Now, as I was saying, the Imperious curse gives the caster total control over the victim…"

***

"I can't believe it!" Remus said as we walked out of Defense Against the Dark Arts. "Olivia Parker has detention."

"Oh, shut up," I grumbled, shoving him lightly. Sirius put his arm around my shoulders as we headed back up to the common room. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal?" James asked. "Sirius, Remus, Peter, and I get in loads of trouble for things we do that pale in comparison to the stuff you get away with. It's nice to see you finally unable to get out of trouble."

"Sirius?" I asked. Hoping to have one sympathizer.

"Sorry, love. James and Remus are right—you're always able to weasel your way out of trouble by batting your eyelashes or showing off your dimples. It's time you finally served a Hogwarts detention."

"Ugh," I groaned, shoving his arm off my shoulders. I started to stomp away when Sirius grabbed my arm and pulled me close to him again. He kissed me lightly on the lips, and I melted into him like usual. "I love you," I told him when he pulled his lips away from mine.

"I thought you were mad at me for not being more sympathetic to the fact that you have detention tonight."

"I can't stay mad at you, and you know that. Now let's catch up with everyone in the common room before Potions later." Sirius and I started climbing the stairs when someone called his name.

"Sirius!"

He spun around and saw a boy with shaggy black hair standing at the bottom of the staircase. He had green eyes and a small build. One his black robes, he had a green and silver patch—Slytherin. Sighing, Sirius grabbed my hand and pulled me behind him. We approached the kid with tension flowing off Sirius's body in waves.

"What do you want. Regulus?" he asked his brother in a clipped voice.

"Can we talk?" Regulus asked quietly, trying not to draw attention from the people walking around us.

"I'm listening."

"I mean somewhere private," Regulus said quickly. "I don't want to be overheard."

"You can either tell us right now what you want or we can go back to the common room like we were planning," Sirius snapped.

"I know about Olivia's secret. I know the Dark Lord is searching for her," he said in an undertone.

The color flooded from Sirius's face. "Apparently we need to talk."

"Yes, we do."


	14. Death Eaters and Detention

Chapter 13: Death Eaters and Detention

OPOV

Regulus led us down a deserted corridor and into an empty classroom. I sat on the top of a desk while Sirius stood next to me, not letting go of my hand. Once he had closed the door, Regulus stood in front of us. I shivered slightly, unsure about what he needed to say to Sirius.

"Would you get on with it?" Sirius growled. "I don't exactly enjoy being in the presence of people who let my mother berate me, then let me run away without begging me to stay."

"I'm sorry about that, Sirius," Regulus said softly. "I should have stood up for you and told Mother to leave you alone, but I was a coward. I was too willing to bend to her wills, to be what she wanted me to be. And I have to admit, I still am that way."

"So, it's true then, is it? You've become a Death Eater."

Regulus nodded. "I joined them over the holidays. Mother and Father were so proud. Bellatrix came to me during the summer to see if I would be interested, and our parents desire to see one of their sons become a servant to the Dark Lord sealed my fate."

"But is that what you wanted?" I asked softly. Regulus and Sirius looked at me. "Did you want to become a Death Eater, or was that only what your parents wanted?"

"I—I thought it was what I wanted, but now I'm not so sure. I hear people saying things—things he's done, things he plans to do." He turned to me. "Like the marriage he has planned between himself and witch by the name of Olivia Parker."

"Marriage?" I asked with disbelief. "No, no, no—he just wants to fuck me."

"I don't know who told you that, but from what I've heard on the inside, he wants to bind you to him. Forever."

Sirius looked over at me with shock that was mirrored on my face—neither of us knew that. Williamson had left out that minor detail.

"Why are you telling us this, Regulus?" Sirius asked, his voice strained.

"Well, for one thing, you're my brother."

"We may be related by blood, but you haven't acted like my brother in a long time."

"Sirius!" I hissed. "Can't you see he's trying to make nice?"

"It's okay, Olivia. I deserve it. He's right—I haven't been much of a brother, and I will never be able to show you how sorry I am for that."

"You still didn't answer my question—why are you telling us any of this stuff?"

"Well, I'm not going to be around much longer, and I had to warn you."

"Warn us? You didn't tell us anything useful—we already knew You-Know-Who was searching for Olivia. Come on, let's go," he said, yanking me off the desk and turning to leave the room."

"That's not what I wanted to warn you about," he called as Sirius's hand reached for the doorknob. "You can't trust everyone around you."

Sirius turned around slowly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what you think it means. There is a Death Eater in the Ministry of Magic. Specifically, in the Auror department. How do you think they were able to find Olivia's location when her house was supposed to be under the protection of the Fidelius charm? The spy fed them the location, enabling them to arrive at the house and kill Olivia's parents."

"There's a spy?" I said, my heart sinking. If there was a spy in the group of people protecting me, I would never be safe. "Do you know who it is?"

He shook his head. "I also know there is a Death Eater stationed at Hogwarts. The Death Eater here and the Ministry Death Eater are working together to try and deliver you to the Dark Lord."

"Two Death Eaters?" I said slowly, the panic quickly building inside of me. I started gasping for breath as I attempted to gain control of my nerves.

"Olivia, calm down," Sirius said, wrapping his arms around me. Instead, I collapsed into his chest and broke down into tears. "Shh, it's okay," he said, rubbing my back.

"How am I supposed to stay safe if all these people are trying to capture me?" I choked out. "They want to force me into something against my will, and I am powerless to stop it."

"Do you know who the spies are?" Sirius asked Regulus as I continued crying.

"No," Regulus said. "I haven't been a Death Eater for very long, so I don't know who most of the other people are. The only reason I even know this is because I am Bellatrix's cousin, and she's the most loyal Death Eater. I mean, because I'm related to her, I know more than some people who have been in his service for almost a year."

"I still don't see why you are telling us this. I mean, won't he kill you when he finds out you told us?"

"He won't get the chance. Like I told you, I'm not going to be around for much longer."

"You're not?" I asked, turning my head to look at Regulus. Sirius's finger shot out to wipe the tears off my face.

"No. Being a Death Eater isn't for me, and when he finds that out, he'll kill me. Unfortunately for him, I know something he doesn't want anyone else to know."

"What do you know?" Sirius asked.

"How to defeat him."

"You do?" I asked. He nodded. "How do you defeat him."

"I can't tell you. If he found out you know, you would be killed instead of just being brought to him. But if I'm going down, I'm going to take as much of him with me as I can. Sirius, I'm sorry for everything that happened between us, and I just hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I'm just sorry I won't be there to see you and Olivia get married."

"Regulus," I said, getting to my feet, "I can't thank you enough for warning me about this. You may have been sorted into Slytherin, but you are truly a Gryffindor at heart." I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. Before letting go, I kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Sirius, don't let her go. Keep her safe, and don't let them get to her."

Regulus gave a small wave before opening the door and leaving the room. Silently, Sirius took my hand, and the two of us made our way to Potions. When we arrived there, the rest of our friends were already at their tables.

"Hey, what happened to you guys?" James asked, eyeing us suspiciously. "One minute, you were behind us, and the next, you had disappeared."

"Sorry, something came up," Sirius said with no emotion.

"Yeah. More like Padfoot got horny and needed a little rendezvous in the Room of Requirement." Sirius ignored him as he took a seat at our table. I quietly sat next to him and placed a hand on his knee.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"No," he said in a strained voice. "How do you expect me to be okay when I find out there is a man providing You-Know-Who with inside information when he is supposed to help protect you. That does not make me happy. Not one bit."

"Love, it's going to be okay," I reassured him. "I'll tell Williamson, and he can find out who the spy is before any more information gets leaked to the other side. Everything will work out okay in the end, I promise. You just have to trust me on this."

He looked at me for a long moment. "Okay, I trust you. I just wish I had more trust in myself to keep you safe."

"And I wish Remus would tell Claire how he feels about her," I said, glancing at the table next to us. Remus was attempting to make small talk with Claire, blushing the entire time. Claire, on the other hand, was attempting not to meet Remus's eyes. He just needed to ask her out and be done with it.

Sirius looked over at them. "Moony is never going to ask her out unless someone forces him to do it."

"Moony?" I said questioningly. "Why did you call him Moony? And why did James call you Padfoot before?"

"Those are our nicknames," he said quietly.

"Oh, okay. Well, I see the significance behind Remus's," I teased. Sirius nodded gravely. I let out an annoyed sigh. "Love, you need to relax. This affects me more than it does you, and I'm not sitting in class looking like someone died."

"It affects me equally. I can't lose you again. You don't know what it was like last year for me—I was in a bad state after you left. If something were ever to happen to you, I don't know what I would do."

"Nothing is going to happen to me," I reassured him."I have so many people protecting me. There may be someone in the Ministry trying to turn me over to You-Know-Who, but I have you, our friends, and Williamson to protect me." I kissed him quickly on the cheek, then turned my attention to the front of the room to listen to Professor Slughorn's lecture.

***

"You're sure?" Williamson (as Rebecca) asked me after dinner that night. I nodded. "How can you be sure? None of our other Aurors have found out anything like that.

"Sirius's brother told us. He had inside information about the Death Eaters, and he wanted to warn us."

"Inside information?" Williamson asked, raising his eyebrow. "You mean he's a Death Eater. What's stopping me from barging into the Slytherin common room and throwing him in Azkaban right now?"

"Please don't!" I begged. "He doesn't want to do it anymore! He didn't realize what he was expected to do, and he's not cut out to be a Death Eater. He's going to go out with a bang though—he thinks he knows how to weaken You-Know-Who."

"Really," Williamson said, an intrigued look appearing on his face.

I rolled my eyes. "Can we get back to me? What are we going to do about the spies in the Ministry and at Hogwarts?"

"I'll have the other Aurors search for the Ministry spy. Since I'm the only capable person here, I'll do everything I can to find the spy here. Meanwhile, I don't want you out of my sight until we get this resolved. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," I said miserably. If I was now to be attached to Williamson's hip, how was I supposed to get any alone time with Sirius? Sighing, I walked back into the common room with Williamson trailing me. I took a seat in my favorite chair by the fire and closed my eyes. Maybe if I pretended it all wasn't happening, everything would go away.

"Olivia!" someone shouted. I opened my eyes slowly and looked up. James Potter was standing in front of me in his muddy Quidditch robes—he must have just gotten out of a late practice, which meant Sirius would be back soon.

"Hey, James," I greeted him. I don't know where Lily is—maybe she's in the library?" I suggested, assuming he was looking for her.

"What?" he asked, looking confused.

"Aren't you looking for Lily?"

"No. It's almost eight o'clock—don't you have your detention with Professor Ackerson tonight?"

"Oh shit, you're right!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. I grabbed my bag, sitting next to me, and sprinted towards the portrait hole.

"Olivia Parker! Where do you think you're going?" Williamson said sternly, grabbing my arm.

"Detention," I said happily, glad I had an excuse to get away from him. I yanked my arm from his hand and ran to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. When I got there, Professor Ackerson was sitting at her desk, obviously waiting for me.

"You're late," she said as I walked into the room.

"I'm sorry," I panted. "Something came up earlier and I forgot about detention. I'm so sorry."

"You can show how sorry you are with another night of detention. For each minute you were late."

"What?" I gasped. "That's totally unfair!"

"So, since you were three minutes late, you'll have another three nights of detention. Now, take a seat." I grumbled under my breath as I took a seat in the front row. Professor Ackerson placed a piece of parchment on my desk. "Pull out a quill and copy the lines 'I must not talk during class' three hundred times."

"Three hundred?" I complained.

"Say another word, and it will be five hundred." I shut up after that, pulled out a quill with ink, and started copying the lines, over and over and over. I didn't even look up at Professor Ackerson the whole time—I just wrote.

297…298…299…300. Finished. I got out of my seat and walked up to Professor Ackerson's desk to turn the parchment in.

She took it from my hands and looked it over. "You may leave," she said. I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. "Oh, Olivia?" she asked as I was walking into the corridor. I turned to look at her. "Make sure you are on time tomorrow, or it will be two extra days for each minute you are late. Have a good night." She gave me a fake smile, and I left as quickly as I could.

I walked back to Gryffindor tower, lost in my thoughts. Professor Ackerson was being especially mean to me, and I didn't understand why. I sighed to myself as I gave the Fat Lady the password and climbed through the portrait hole. Williamson was instantly by my side.

"Get to bed," he ordered.

I looked at him with disbelief. "It's ten-thirty!" I exclaimed.

"Exactly—you should already be in bed."

"You can't boss me around! You're not my dad!"

"Actually, I _can_ boss you around, and since your dad is dead, I'm the closest thing you have to a father figure."

"Well, if it weren't for you, he's still be alive!" I sobbed, quickly heading up to the dorm so Williamson couldn't follow me. After all, if he tried climbing the stairs, they would turn into a slide since the Hogwarts founders didn't trust boys.

I threw myself onto my bed and curled into a ball. It had only been a few weeks since my parents had been killed, yet I was barely mourning. I guess the way that they had suddenly died put me in a state of shock I had yet to leave. This was the first time I realized the were really gone.

I heard the door open, so I threw my pillow over my head and crawled underneath my blankets—I wasn't in the mood to see or talk to anyone.

"Olivia?" Lily called softly. I pretended I didn't hear her. "Olivia, you don't have to talk to me, but I have someone you may want to talk to with me." The bottom of my mattress sunk under the weight of another person. I sat up, pulled the covers off my head, and saw Sirius sitting at the edge of my bed.

"Sirius? What are you doing? How did you even get up here?"

"James and I figured out a spell last year that lets us get up to the girls' dorms—it's quite useful, actually," he said, grinning mischievously.

"You did?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "That's very impressive magic. How does it go?"

"Well, it's only nonverbal, so saying it aloud won't work. The incantation is gelascala, and you point your wand directly at the stairs to freeze them. Then, to take it off, you point your want and nonverbally say the incantation defrigoscala. It's actually quite simple."

"I never thought I'd see the day where you do something useful unrelated to pranking."

He chuckled and scooted closer to me on the bed.

"I'll give you two some privacy," Lily said quietly, leaving the room. When we were alone, Sirius laid down on the bed next to me and placed his palm on my flat stomach.

"How are you?" he asked. "You seemed really upset after your argument in the common room, and I needed to make sure you were okay."

"I just realized they're never coming back," I murmured. "They're dead, and if it wasn't for me, they'd still be alive."

"Olivia, don't say that. It's not your fault some psycho decided he wanted you and put a death wish on your entire family. You didn't chose to have that happen—it just did. Just like you didn't choose to fall in love with me—things like that happen, and there's nothing you can do to stop them." He gently pressed his lips to mine and kissed me. "It's also not my fault Howie Petriet was sent to the hospital wing after his prefect badge got stuck to his forehead.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, sitting up a little bit so I could look him straight in the eyes. "That was completely your fault! You're the one who put the sticking charm on the badge. I mean, Howie still has the scar on his forehead."

"Okay, it's my fault it got stuck to his head, but not my fault he decided to blab to Madam Pomfrey and get me stuck with three months of detention fifth year!" I looked at him. "Okay, so maybe it was my fault, but he deserved it! He's a dirty Slytherin who said people in Gryffindor were brainless idiots."

I laughed softly and rested my head on his chest. "You really are the best, you know. You know how to make me happy when I feel like crying—or already am crying," I added, wiping my tears away.

"Hey, so how did detention go?" he asked, making a circle on my stomach with his forefinger.

"Could have been worse," I said. "She made me write lines the whole time, but then she gave me an extra three detentions for being late."

"What? She can't do that!" he said outraged.

"It doesn't matter," I said. "I may as well just grin and bear it. Besides, this is all the detentions I've avoided catching up with me."

"True," he admitted. "Seven years worth of detentions all at once—sounds miserable."

"It is. But if we get to do this after every detention, I think everything will be okay." I snuggled closer to him and rested my cheek on his chest. "Cuddling with my boyfriend makes me happy."

"Yes, well making my girlfriend laugh makes _me_ happy." He started tickling my stomach, and I tried not to laugh. Unfortunately, it didn't work.

"Sirius—stop—I'm—ticklish!" I gasped between laughs. I tried pushing his hands away, but it didn't do anything. He grabbed my wrists and pulled them over my head. He straddled my body with a leg on either side of my torso before bending down and kissing me on the lips.

I pulled my legs out from underneath him and wrapped them around his waist. He still had my wrists pinned to the mattress above my head, but I didn't care.

"What's going on in here?" Lily asked, bursting through the door. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene. "Oh, wow, I'm sorry," she said spinning around and running out of the room. Sirius and I looked at each other after she left before bursting into laughter.

He rolled onto his back next to me before wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close to him. "Oh, I have an idea on who the traitor at Hogwarts is," he said.

"You do?"

"Yep. I've been thinking about it all day, and it's the only teacher who makes sense."

"Who is it?"

"Slughorn! I mean, he's the head of Slytherin, and everyone knows that Slytherins are the ones who turn out to be seriously evil wizards."

"Are you serious?" I asked with disbelief. "Do you honestly think Professor Slughorn is providing You-Know-Who with information about me? You're saying he's secretly a Death Eater who loves Lily Evans, a Muggleborn? You're out of your mind."

"Okay, okay, you're right," he admitted. "But who else could it be?"

"Well, it's not Dumbledore, it's not McGonagall, it's not Flitwick, it's not Professor Sprout—I can't think of anyone who it _could_ be."

"Well, what about the traitor who's an Auror. You spent the year getting to know them—is there any of them who could be working for You-Know-Who?"

"I don't know," I said. "Every single one of them has been dedicated to keeping me safe. Not a single one of them has done anything to make me think they're working for the other side. I mean, this is making me not trust the people who are supposed to be protecting my life."

"Olivia, I hate to bring this up, but do you think that maybe—no, never mind."

"What?" I said, sitting up. "Do I think what?"

"No, it's stupid," he mumbled. "Forget I mentioned it."

"Sirius Orion Black, tell me what you were going to say!"

"Fine! Well, do you think it could maybe be Williamson?" he asked quickly.

"Williamson? As in, the guy who is spending all of his time and efforts to protect me? The guy who was tortured by four Death Eaters, one of whom was your cousin? _That_ Williamson? I can't believe I'm sitting here listening to you."

"Olivia—"

"No, you can leave right now! If you think the guy who was there when you weren't is the one who is secretly planning on handing me over to You-Know-Who, then you're out of your mind."

"Olivia, be reasonable! I mean, he was your secret-keeper when the Death Eaters found you!"

"Yes, but you had a slip of paper _in his handwriting_ with my address. How do I know you didn't give it to your cousin so she could find me?"

"I would never do that!" he shouted.

"Fine, whatever!" I shrieked, throwing the door open and running down the stairs. I didn't look to see if Sirius was watching me or not. All I knew was that I had to get away from him until I cooled down. I grabbed Williamson by the arm and pulled him out of the common room and into an empty classroom.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking at me. I was shaking with anger and my fists were clenched.

"It's Sirius. He has this ridiculous idea that you're the person in the Ministry who's secretly working for You-Know-Who. It's crazy, right?"

"Of course it is," he reassured me. "Richard Williamson is not working for You-Know-Who."

"However, William Yaxley is," a cold female voice said behind me. I spun around and saw Professor Ackerson standing in the room, blocking my only way out.

"Too bad I killed the real Richard Williamson," he laughed. That was the last thing I saw before everything around me went black.


	15. The Patronus

Chapter 14: The Patronus

OPOV

"…is she alive?" I heard someone ask. "What happened to her?"

"I found her in a classroom like this on the floor. I don't know what happened."

"Is that blood on her head?"

"Here, use this and wipe it off." A pair of hands touched my forehead and lightly wiped something off with a handkerchief.

"It's so good you found her, Remus. I don't know what would have happened if she had been there all night."

"It's a good thing I was on the rounds there, and not someone from Slytherin. Or the spy at Hogwarts."

Wait, the spy! Everything started rushing back to me—Williamson, Professor Ackerson, the room, everything going black…

My eyes fluttered open, and I saw all my friends looking down at me.

"Olivia!" Sirius shouted, bending down to pull me into his arms. When he did, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

"Ow!" I gasped. He let me go and laid me back on the bed. "Where am I? What happened?"

"You're in our dormitory on Sirius's bed," James said, kneeling beside me. "Remus found you about an hour ago lying on the ground. You were unconscious."

"I was?" I asked. "How did I get there—what happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us that, love," Sirius said softly, taking my hand in his. I remembered the fight we had just before I ran off with Williamson to talk.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Sirius," I sobbed, sitting up against the backboard of the bed. "I should have listened to you instead of getting mad and storming off."

"What's she talking about, mate?" Peter asked Sirius.

"We got into a fight about who the traitor from the Ministry was. She didn't want to believe me when I said I thought it was Williamson."

"Williamson? As in the guy who's been guarding her since she came back to Hogwarts, disguised as a student?"

"Yeah, him."

"It was him," I sobbed, burying my face in my hands. "Turns out, his name is Yaxley. William Yaxley. He killed the real Richard Williamson and took on his identity. He's a Death Eater who's been pretending to be an Auror so he could get close to me and hand me over to You-Know-Who."

"What about the Hogwarts spy?" Lily asked, standing behind James, who was still kneeling next to me. "Did you find out who it was?"

I nodded.

"Well, who is it?" Remus asked.

"The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Professor Ackerson?" Peter asked. I nodded. "But why? She seemed so nice—I can't believe she's a Death Eater."

"Well, she is. I guess it makes sense why she was interested in me all year. She showed up in the room, preventing me from getting out of there. Then, something happened, and everything around me went black. That's the last thing I remember before waking up here."

"You mean, you don't know what happened to them?" James asked. I shook my head. "Well, this is just great. Two people who know exactly how and where to find Olivia are on the loose, and we can't do anything about it."

"James, calm down," Lily said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but this guy, whoever he really is, was the one who was arranging where she would stay in the future. He knows _exactly_ where she is going to be, and he arranged all the protective enchantments on my house so she could stay there this…summer." The truth dawned on James, and he sprinted out the room.

"What was that about?" Peter asked.

"I'm supposed to be living with James and his family. Since Williamson turned out to be a Death Eater, he's not on our side anymore. He knows every protective enchantment on that house, making it easier for him and the rest of the Death Eaters to get in, grab me, and kill everyone else. He's probably writing his parents to warn them."

"So what's going to happen now?" Remus asked. "Where are you going to go once you graduate?"

"I don't know," I said. "Maybe I'll just go on the run again."

"No, you won't," Sirius said forcefully. "We'll get our own place. We'll talk to Dumbledore and have him help us make it safe, so no one can find it. And then you and I will start our lives together."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I hate that I'm the reason you have to find a new place to live and live your life in fear."

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "This makes life so much better!"

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Let's give them some privacy," Lily said, grabbing Peter and Remus by their shirt collars. Once we had the room to ourselves, Sirius climbed onto the bed next to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes.

"Did you ever think your life would be less complicated if you weren't in love with me?" I asked sleepily.

"I know it would be less complicated. But that wouldn't be much of a life if you weren't in it."

I laughed softly. "I love you. So much."

"And I love you back. More than you will ever know."

***

Over the next month, I was in Dumbledore's office constantly, talking about what was going to happen with me once I left Hogwarts. I told him about Sirius's plan, and he thought it was a good idea.

"What about Healer training?" I asked him one day in the middle of February. "That was my plan, to become a Healer."

"Well, I don't see why you can't do that. St. Mungo's is a perfectly safe place to be. There are Ministry people there all the time, and they will make sure to keep you out of harm's way."

"Have they found them yet?" I asked quietly.

Professor Dumbledore shook his head. "Moody and the rest of the Aurors have put Yaxley and his wife at the top of their list, but they've eluded capture. In fact, they haven't seen or heard from them since they attacked you that night in January."

"Great," I said miserably. "The two people who know exactly where I am and where I'm going are at large—they've probably told all their Death Eater friends how to capture me. I mean, he lived with me for over a year, so he knows exactly how to lure me into a trap. If I had just been thinking more clearly, maybe I would have—"

"Olivia, don't beat yourself up about this. It isn't your fault—I should have realized that he wasn't the real Richard Williamson. Many people should have realized it wasn't the real Richard Williamson, but we didn't. You shouldn't be blaming yourself."

I sighed. "Why does my life have to be so complicated? I mean, I've never done anything too horrible to anyone—unless you count the time I hexed Jane Dow when her back was turned. But she totally deserved it for sending me to the hospital wing when she made my bag explode." I shook my head. "What I mean is, why did You-Know-Who choose me? There are sp many other girls out there. Girls who would be willing to be his—whatever he wants me to be."

"That's the point—you aren't willing. You're a challenge. It makes everything so much more interesting," Dumbledore said, a grim look on his face.

"I just don't understand what I ever did to deserve this," I sighed miserably. "I mean, I'm not failing my classes, my parents love—loved—me, I have a great boyfriend…did I do something to piss off the universe?"

"Sometimes I ask myself the same question," Dumbledore said with something in his voice that suggested my life wasn't the only one with pain.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked. "What's stopping any of these future Death Eaters from jumping me when I'm walking to Transfiguration, or stopping Jane Dow from cursing me while my back is turned? I have no one to protect me anymore, and in case you don't know, everyone in Slytherin has it out for me."

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Well, I do have one person who could protect you. He's strong, friendly, and I'd trust my own life with him…"

***

"Move outta the way yeh bunch of numskulls," Hagrid said as he walked me down the corridor to Charms. "I got some precious cargo here with me, so unless yeh want yer foot stepped on, I'd move outta the way."

"Hagrid, you don't need to clear the halls for me just to get to class," I whispered, my face turning bright red. Sirius, Remus, James, Lily, and Peter were all walking with us, laughing.

"Oh, lighten up, Olivia" Sirius chuckled, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "Hagrid's just doing his job."

"Plus, you get your own personal body guard who's three times the size of you and could rip Jane Dow to pieces if she so much as breathes in your direction," James added.

We arrived at the Charms classroom, where Hagrid left us, promising to be waiting outside when it ended to escort me to my next class. We all walked in and took a seat in our normal places, with Lily next to James Remus next to Peter, and me next to Sirius.

"Do you feel better now?" he asked, placing his hand on top of mine.

"Not entirely. I mean, it's great that Hagrid is here to protect me, but he won't be there once I leave Hogwarts. I'm fair game to You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters come June. They're probably just waiting for me to leave the walls of the castle so they can snatch me."

"I told you," he whispered, bending down so his chin rested on my shoulder. "I will keep you safe."

"Thank you," I whispered back, smiling at him.

Professor Flitwick decided to start class then, so I spent the entire lesson listening to him talk about how the Patronus Charm would most likely appear on our N.E.W.T.s. A very advanced charm, it was used to repel dementors away, the only known defense against them. I doodled on a piece of parchment while Flitwick lectured on about Patronus Charms.

Suddenly, people were standing up, attempting to cast the spell. "C'mon, Olivia," Sirius said, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet. "Give it your best shot."

I stared at him blankly. "What the heck am I supposed to do?"

He laughed. "Weren't you paying attention?"

I gave him a look. "When have I ever really paid attention in class?"

He sighed. "Moony!" Remus looked over at us. "Can you trade partners with me? You're better at this teaching stuff than I am." Sirius waked over and started practicing with Peter while Remus stood next to me.

"Okay, Livy," he said. "I want you to think of a happy memory."

"Happy?" I asked. "Remus, you know what my life has been like this year—how the hell am I supposed to think of a happy memory?"

"Well, how about when you came back to Hogwarts after a year away?"

"Right, and watched Sirius maul every living female at the school? I don't think that was so happy."

"How about the holiday party?"

"You mean the one where I got super drunk and Lily almost stopped speaking to me?"

Remus sighed. "Fine. What about when you got back together with Sirius?"

I thought. That was definitely a happy memory. If I could concentrate on that reunion in the broom closet, I could make this work.

"Are you concentrating on your memory?" he asked.

"Yes," I murmured with my eyes closed. I was remembering the closet, my arms wrapped around Sirius's neck, our lips joined together.

"Okay, while concentrating, cast the spell."

I looked up at him. "What do I say?"

He sighed. "You really need to start listening in class. "It's _Expecto Patronum_."

"Expecto Patronum…Expecto Patronum…Expecto Patronum…" I muttered to myself. I concentrated on the memory, then waved my wand and said, "Expecto Patronum!" I felt something burst out of my wand. I opened my eyes and saw a big, silver, shaggy dog standing next to me, standing guard. I reached down and stroked the top of its head. "I did it!"

To my surprise, Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter were all laughing.

"What? I asked them annoyed.

"Wow, what a surprise that _that_ ends up being her patronus, huh Padfoot?" James asked, shoving Sirius.

"Am I missing something?" I asked, looking at the four of them. "I don't get what's so funny."

"I'll tell you later, love," Sirius muttered, shooting a glare at his three best friends.

"Oh, wonderful, wonderful!" Professor Flitwick squeaked, coming over to us. "Look, everyone! Miss Parker has done it!" My cheeks turned bright red as the entire class stared at my patronus. As of lately, I hated being the center of attention. Everyone in the school knew something was going on with me, and the rumors were flying everywhere.

A group of Hufflepuffs started a rumor that while I was supposedly at Beauxbatons Academy last year, I was really in Romania, learning how to tame dragons. Yeah, no one else in the school believed them either.

Someone said the French Minister of Magic fell in love with me, so I ran off to marry him, but left after a year because he wanted me to live in France full time.

A fifth-year from Slytherin said You-Know-Who had killed me and I was now an inferi. Someone had to remind him that inferi did not look like normal people, but like dead bodies reincarnated.

A bunch of Ravenclaws said I had gotten pregnant, and left for a year so no one would know, then gave it away to some wizarding family in France. Sirius and I broke up because he wanted me to keep it. At least that one was plausible, unlike the rest.

There were very few people who actually knew the truth, and another group who I suspected knew. I had been telling Sirius, Remus, and the rest of my friends that I was 95% sure that the Slytherins we suspected of being Death Eaters or training to be Death Eaters knew You-Know-Who was searching for me. Sirius tried to tell me I was ridiculous, but I could tell that by the way Jane Dow looked at me that she already knew.

Once Charms ended, Hagrid was waiting for me outside the room to escort me back to Gryffindor Tower for my break. When we reached the Fat Lady, I gave her the password (Dragon Blood), reminded Hagrid I had Ancient Runes in two hours, then climbed through the portrait hole into the common room.

I looked around and saw my favorite chair by the fire was empty. I headed over to it, but Sirius sprinted there and took a seat before I could.

"Sirius!" I groaned. "You _knew_ I was going to sit there!"

"You snooze, you lose," he teased. I stuck out my bottom lip, and he patted his lap, gesturing for me to sit there. Still grumbling, I took a seat on top of his knees, and he pulled me into his arms, kissing me lightly on the neck.

"So, are you going to tell me what James, Remus, and Peter found so funny about the shape my patronus took?" I asked him.

He sighed. "Must I?"

"Yes, Padfoot," I added, using the name James had called him during Charms class. "Why does James call you that, anyways? I get Remus's—Moony because he changes into a werewolf at the full moon—but I don't understand yours."

"Can I explain it to you tonight?" he asked.

"I don't know…"

"Olivia, just come with me tonight to the Room of Requirement. You won't be sorry."

So, that night, Sirius and I snuck out of Gryffindor Tower under James's Invisibility cloak and up to the Room of Requirement. When we walked inside, it wasn't the room with a giant bed in the middle like last time. There was a couch and a wall full of books. I took a seat on the couch and stared at Sirius.

He looked at me for a moment before the outline of his body began to blur and he began to shrink. His arms and les began to shorten while shaggy black hair grew all over his body. His hands became smaller and his fingers and toes grew closer together. Where my boyfriend had been standing was a shaggy black dog, the real version of my patronus. I stared at him with my mouth wide open while he shifted back into his human self.

"Oh my…" I gasped.

"I'm an animagus," he said simply. "James and Peter are too. We started learning our second year, once we found out Remus was a werewolf. I'm Padfoot, James is Prongs, and Peter is Wormtail."

"What animals do they turn into?" I asked, fascinated.

"James is a stag while Peter is a rat."

"How did I never know this?"

"Well, we keep it pretty quiet. I don't think the Ministry would be too happy to know there were three unregistered animagi running around with a werewolf every full moon."

"So, you stay with Remus when he transforms?" I asked. "Sirius, that's extremely dangerous! What if you get bitten?"

To my surprise, he started laughing. "Love, he's not a danger to us when we're animals. I mean, I have a few nasty scratches from him, but other than that, he doesn't hurt me."

"So, where do you go?" I asked.

"You know the Whomping Willow?"

I nodded.

"Well, there's a knot in the back of it that, when pressed, immobilizes the tree. Then, you just travel down the passageway that leads you straight into the Shrieking Shack."

"You mean…all those stories of ghosts are just Remus howling when he's a werewolf?"

Sirius nodded, laughing hysterically. "It's quite funny when you think about it."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" I whined. "I mean, I told you _everything_ about what is going on with me, yet you didn't bother to clue me in on the fact that you can change into a shaggy dog at will."

Sirius gave me a look. "Love, it's not a big deal."

I sighed. "I guess you're right. Come on, let's go back to the common room." I stood up and headed for the door when Sirius's hand grabbed mine and pulled me back towards him.

"Now, wait a minute," he said. "We're never alone anymore, yet now we have this entire room to ourselves where no one can disturb us. It's just you, me, and this couch."

I rolled my eyes at him before kissing him lightly on the lips. "C'mon, Padfoot," I said, shoving him onto the couch and slowly crawling onto his lap. "Show me some of that animal magnetism."


	16. The Set Up

Chapter 15: The Set Up

OPOV

The term seemed to be flying by for me. February turned into March, which turned into April. I looked at the calendar sadly each day, knowing it was one day closer to when I would be thrust out of the castle into the real world, becoming fair game for any passing Death Eater to snatch me and hand me over to You-Know-Who.

I'd also spent the time observing the interactions between Claire and Remus during Potions class instead of actually paying attention to Professor Slughorn and learning how to properly brew the potions he was talking about.

Since the beginning of the year, I'd noticed an attraction between the two of them. Claire was always smiley and giggly around Remus, and he couldn't stop blushing around her. They obviously had a thing for each other, but Remus was too shy to make the first move and Claire was waiting for him to ask her out—I knew her well enough to know she would never ask a guy out, even if she really liked him.

"Sirius," I whispered one day in class while we were supposed to be brewing a truth serum. He looked at me, obviously annoyed I was making him do all the work.

"What?"

"What do you think of Remus and Claire?"

He glanced over at the two of them, both smiling as they completed their potion together. Remus's cheeks became slightly flushed as Claire's hand brushed his. "I think they're both lucky to have a partner who actually pays attention and does their work." He glared at me.

"Oh, get over it," I grinned, nudging him in the ribs gently with my elbow. "You know I never do anything in classes. What I mean is, what do you think of them as a couple?"

"Don't even think about it," he muttered, chopping up the daisy roots. "If Moony wants to ask her out, he will. Anyways, you should be slicing the caterpillars instead of thinking of ways to get Moony and Claire together."

I rolled my eyes at him and kept observing the two of them. They were so adorable together, and they obviously fancied one another. I would get them together as a thank-you to Remus for being such a good friend while Sirius was acting like a prat.

"Come on, baby," I said, sticking my lower lip out and looking at him. "Please? They're so cute, and I really want to do this."

"What you should be wanting to do, Miss Parker, is slicing that caterpillar so I don't give you a zero for the day," Professor Slughorn said from behind us. My face went bright red as I quickly grabbed the knife and did as I was told. I saw Sirius smirking out of the corner of my eye, so I stepped on his foot.

"Ow," he said, knocking his hips into mine.

"That's what you get for smirking at me when I get in trouble in class," I said.

"Well, you deserved it. You've been sitting her all lesson, staring at Remus and Claire instead of making this potion with me." I rolled my eyes at him, but stood on my toes and pressed my lips against his cheek. "I love you too," she said, ruffling my hair with his free hand.

Once Potions was over, Hagrid met us outside the dungeons like he'd been doing every day since Professor Dumbledore told him to be my bodyguard. "How was yer lesson?" he asked us. "Brew anythin' innerestin'?"

"No," Sirius laughed, "But Olivia got in trouble by Professor Slughorn for not paying attention again." I tried to smack him, but he pulled me into his arms and lifted me over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" I shrieked, laughing. "I'm serious, stop!"

He put me down and looked at me. "You're Sirius? I thought I was."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah, like _that_ never gets old. So listen, you all going to Hogsmeade this weekend?" I asked James, Lily, Remus, and Peter. Sirius and I had been planning on spending the day together at The Three Broomsticks, but I had a better idea now.

"Yeah. Why?" James asked.

"Well, I thought maybe we could all hang out together. You know, like old times. Sit in The Three Broomsticks and have a drink, go shopping, play a few pranks…"

"Okay, we're there!" James said, putting his arm around Lily. "Anytime there's pranks involved, you can count me in."

"I'll come," Peter said reluctantly. "Besides, we all haven't spent time together as friends in a long time."

"I'm in," Remus said, smiling at me. "I need one day of fun before I continue to stress about N.E.W.T.s." The four of them headed towards Gryffindor Tower, but Sirius, Hagrid, and I hung back.

"But what about our plans?" Sirius whispered to me.

"Hush," I said, placing a hand on his cheek. ""I'm doing something for a friend, so our plans are going to have to be postponed. And anyways, you get me all to yourself every day. Can't you share me for one afternoon?" I gave him a kiss on the lips as Claire Lynch walked by us. "Claire!" I called. She turned to face me.

"Oh, hi Olivia. What's up?"

"Listen, are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?" I saw Sirius raise his eyebrows out of the corner of my eye, and I aimed a small kick at his shins. I heard him groan behind me, but I ignored him.

"Oh, I don't know," she said, running a hand through her curls. "I was thinking of staying in and studying. I mean, N.E.W.T.s are coming up in a little over a month, and I still have a lot of notes to go over…"

"Claire," I sighed, "You have to take a break at some point. Come to Hogsmeade with me and Sirius."

"I wouldn't want to intrude," she said, turning red.

"You wouldn't be. We're going as a group with all our friends. It'll be me, Sirius, James, Lily, Peter, and Remus." I saw her eyes light up when I mentioned Remus, but I didn't say anything about it. "Please? We all really want you to come. Especially Remus."

"Well, I guess I could take a break for a few hours…okay, I'll come."

"Great," I said happily. "Meet us in the Great Hall Saturday morning. I'll see you then." I gave her a quick hug before taking Sirius's hand and heading back to the common room with Hagrid following us. He said goodbye to us at the portrait before heading back to his hut near the Forbidden Forest.

"I told you not to do something like this," Sirius said as I gave the Fat Lady the password. "It's only going to end badly. I can picture it now—Claire will somehow end up crying and Remus will never speak to you again. When I tell him what you have planned—"

"You're not going to tell him," I said, grabbing his arm. "It's going to be a surprise."

Sirius just shook his head. "When I say 'I told you so' on Saturday, don't get mad." I stuck my tongue out at him and climbed through the portrait hole and into the common room. Lily and James were sitting on the couch looking at some book while Remus was over by the fire with Peter, attempting to explain inferi to him.

"…for the last time, Peter. Inferi look like reanimated dead corpses—they don't look like you and me!" I rolled my eyes at them and took a seat on the floor next to Sirius. I couldn't wait until Saturday.

***

Saturday morning, I woke up with the sun shining into my face. I rolled over and saw Sirius lying next to me. I sat up in his bed and stretched my arms above my head. I quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed out of the room and back to the girl's dormitory. Lily was already up, brushing her hair.

She looked at me. My hair was a mess, I had one of Sirius's big t-shirts on, and I looked exhausted. "Late night?" she smirked.

"Oh, be quiet," I said, walking over to my closet and looking for something to wear. I decided on a simple outfit of black jeans with a white long sleeved and blue short-sleeved layered shirt paired with blue flats. Lily, on the other hand, was in a flowered sundress with white heeled sandals. "Your feet are going to be killing you," I said, looking at her shoes.

"oh, whatever. You're the only girl I know who would wear that when going on a date with her boyfriend."

"It's not a date," I told her. "Remus and Peter don't have girlfriends, so it's just all of us hanging out together. I don't even think all of us have every hung out as a group together. I used to with them, but that was before you could stand to be around James for more than a few seconds."

Lily rolled her eyes at me. "Whatever. I still want to look nice for my boyfriend.." I ran a comb through my hair before deciding it was a hopeless cause and just braiding it into two separate pigtails. We grabbed our bags and headed down the stairs, where the four guys were standing, waiting for us.

"About time," Sirius grumbled while James gave Lily a kiss on the cheek. "We were wondering if you two were ever going to show up." I stuck my tongue out at him while I took his hand in mine. He kissed me on the top of the head, and the six of us headed down to the Great Hall for some breakfast before we left.

I saw Claire sitting by herself at the Ravenclaw table. Pretty and sweet as she may be, Claire was dreadfully shy and didn't have many friends. It had taken me three years to get her to have a decent conversation with me, and we'd been close ever since. I waved to her when we walked in, and she came over to join us. She was in a pair of simple khaki pants with an off-the-shoulder green top that meshed well with her hair. She had a simple pair of plaid flats on and she had pulled half of her hair back in a clip.

"Claire, you look so adorable. Don't you agree, Remus?" I asked. Sirius rolled his eyes while Remus and Claire both turned bright red.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," he stammered. I grinned, happy my plan was working. By the end of the day, Claire and Remus would be a couple.

After we had all eaten, the seven of us headed towards Hogsmeade, talking amongst each other. Lily and James were in their own little bubble, flirting and laughing while making sure they had physical contact with each other at all times. Peter had started a conversation with Remus about what they were going to do outside of Hogwarts, leaving Claire with Sirius and me.

"Are you sure it's okay that I'm here?" she asked for the fiftieth time. "I mean, I could go and do my own thing—I wouldn't be insulted."

"Claire, you're very welcome with us," Sirius said, smiling over at her. "I'm sorry about everyone ignoring you, but Lily and James are in their own little world, and Remus and Peter are being anti-social morons right now. Moony! Wormtail!" he called. Remus and Peter turned around to look at us. "Are you two going to continue being rude, or are you going to talk to Claire?"

The two of them turned red before mumbling some excuse and joining the three of us. Claire immediately started talking about N.E.W.T.s, which got her and Remus involved in a deep conversation. I smiled at Sirius, taking his hand and leaning my head on his shoulder. "Am I a genius, or am I a genius?" I asked.

"Why are you a genius?" Peter said, coming up on Sirius's other side.

Sirius laughed. "She thinks she's going to get Claire and Moony together by the end of the day. She thinks they're both secretly in love with each other, and somehow, by spending the day with us, they'll get the courage to ask each other out."

"That's dumb," Peter laughed.

"When Wormtail says your idea is bad, you know it must be pretty awful," Sirius chuckled. I elbowed him in the side, but kept my head on his shoulder and my arm wrapped around his. Eventually, the seven of us reached The Three Broomsticks and walked in, grabbing a large table in the corner. Claire, being polite, went up to order our drinks, giving us the chance to quickly talk.

"Why in Merlin's name did you invite her?" Remus hissed at me.

"Why do you care? You're her Potion's partner. You seem to get along well enough. Plus, she's my friend."

"Well—I—uh," he stammered, flushing red. "I just can't be around her."

"No way!" James shouted loudly. "Moony has a thing for Claire, the Irish princess!"

"So what if I do?" he mumbled, his face on fire. "Why did Olivia have to invite her?"

"I thought it would give you guys a chance to get to know each other. You know, outside the dungeon. She's a really sweet girl, if you'd get to know her as someone other than the girl you spend every Thursday afternoon with."

"So this is why you decided to arrange this whole thing?" Remus asked, the anger in his voice rising. "To try and set Claire and I up on a date?"

"Is that why you invited me, Olivia?" someone asked quietly. I spun around and saw Claire standing there, seven butterbeers in her hands. "I thought it was because you wanted to hang out with me, but now I see it was only to get your friend a date." She put the drinks on the table, then ran out of the bar, tears in her eyes.

"Claire!" I called standing up, ready to go after her. Sirius tugged on my hand, pulling me down. "I don't think she wants to see you. Moony, would you?"

"Oh, all right," he sighed. He shot a glare in my direction before getting up and leaving the Three Broomsticks to look for Claire.

Sirius turned to me, smirking. "I told you—"

"Don't even say it," I said miserably, resting my head on the table.

***

RPOV

How could she? How could she do something that stupid? I thought we were friends!

I stormed out of The Three Broomsticks, looking for Claire after Olivia's disastrous attempt to set us up. Sure, I had a crush on Claire—who didn't—but that didn't mean I wanted one of my best friends to set us up on a date. I mean, she probably didn't even like me that way.

I walked down the streets of Hogsmeade, looking for Claire. Hmm, I thought. If I were hiding, where would I go? I'd probably go to the bookstore. After all, my friends aren't exactly the reading type. Claire seemed like someone who would take refuge in a store with thousands and thousands of books, so I headed in that direction.

I walked inside and was greeted warmly by David Yewes, the owner of the shop. "Remus! Long time no see! We got a new book on vampires I think you would enjoy—"

I held up my hand to stop him. "I'd love to stay and chat, Dave, but I'm actually looking for someone. Have you seen a girl with red hair come in recently?"

"Actually, yes. Claire Lynch came in not too long ago. She looked mighty upset. She's in the back, looking at our special collections."

"Thanks," I said, waving to him and heading to the back of the store. There, I saw Claire sitting on the ground, reading an ancient book that was at least three times as old as her. "Claire?" I said softly. She looked up at me and sighed.

"Oh. Hi, Remus," she sniffed, wiping her eyes. "How did you know where to find me."

"I said, 'Where would I go to hide?' So, I came here. What are you reading?"

"It's an original copy of _An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms_. I've been begging my parents for money to buy it, but they won't budge. So Dave was kind enough to keep it for me until I can scrape together enough gold for it. I'm only three galleons away!" she said excitedly, before sighing. "Unfortunately, it'll take me forever to get that money together. I've been working for three years just to get the rest of it together."

I looked at her. I couldn't believe someone would spend all that time saving up for a book. Well, I could. He was standing her in front of Claire. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my coin bag, emptying it into my hand. Three galleons, eleven sickles, and four knuts. I had been planning on saving it to buy a new wand, but her needs were greater than mine. "Here," I said, handing her the three gold coins. "You should get the book."

She stared up at me, her eyes wide. "I can't accept that, Remus. You probably want to use that for something for yourself."

"Claire, you and I were brought here in a horrible set-up. Think of this as my apology to you from Olivia. Besides, that's an amazing book. And you've been waiting three years to buy it. Why wait any longer?"

She smiled before taking the money from my hand and walking to the front of the store with the book. I followed close behind her, smiling to myself. "Davie!" she called happily. "I'm ready to buy it!"

David came out from the back room, beaming at Claire. "I thought you said you still had a few galleons to go?"

"Well, Remus here is lending them to me."

"Giving," I corrected her.

"No, lending. I'm going to pay him back right now." She laid the book on the counter, stepped in front of me, grabbed my shirt collar, and pulled me close to her, planting her lips on mine. "Now we're even," she whispered, her face flushed. She quickly paid for the book, and the two of us left the store.

We walked back towards The Three Broomsticks, not talking. I could feel my face still burning from the kiss, but I didn't know what to say. Should I ask her out? Did she want me to ask her out? "Claire," I said quickly. She turned to look at me. "Would you—I mean, will you be my girlfriend?"

Her face broke into a big smile. "Of course I will, Remus! I've been waiting for you to ask me that since the beginning of the year!"

"You were?" I asked. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I thought you knew. I mean, I was always smiling at you during Potions. I thought you would realize it and ask me out."

"Well, this guy is a little dense when it comes to dating," I laughed. "Sorry it took me practically the entire year to realize something Olivia probably has known since the beginning of the year. Well, let's go inside. We shouldn't keep them waiting any longer." I grabbed Claire's hand, and the two of us walked inside the bar.

When Olivia spotted us, she broke into a cheer, shouting she was right all along in Sirius's face. I ignored her and planted a gentle kiss on Claire's lips, secretly happy Olivia had tried to set us up in the first place. If she hadn't who knows if I would have ever gotten the nerve to ask Claire Lynch to be my girlfriend.

**So, pictures of all the characters are in my profile. Also, there are pictures of what Claire, Olivia, and Lily wore to Hogsmeade. Review! Please and thanks!**


	17. NEWTs

Chapter 16: N.E.W.T.s

**AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone. And since I'm super nice, I wrote another chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

SPOV

Ever since Moony had started dating Claire Lynch, she seemed to go everywhere with him. If he was doing his prefect rounds, she would accompany him, even though she wasn't a prefect. If he was in the common room, she would be there too—either studying or reading together. I didn't care—he was happy, and that's all that mattered to me.

We were all studying nonstop now since N.E.W.T.s were in a few weeks. Claire had been kind enough to draw schedules up for each of us. Mine looked like this:

_Week 1:_  
Monday AM- Charms practical  
Monday PM- Charms theory  
Thursday AM- Transfiguration practical  
Thursday PM- Transfiguration theory  
_Week 2:_  
Monday AM- Potions practical  
Monday PM- Potions theory  
Tuesday AM- Defense Against the Dark Arts practical  
Tuesday PM- Defense Against the Dark Arts theory  
Friday AM-Herbology practical  
Friday PM- Herbology theory

James and Lily had the same schedule as me. Olivia, Claire, and Remus all had Arithmancy during the first week and Ancient Runes during the second week. Peter was taking Divination and Care of Magical Creatures instead of Potions and Transfiguration. Every night, Olivia and I would sit in the common room, going over years of notes together. I would sit on the couch with Olivia perched in my lap, going over different incantations of spells or the proper way to brew a Draught of the Living Death.

Every night, Olivia would fall asleep in my arms, forcing me to choose between carrying her upstairs to my bed and possibly waking her, or staying where we were and sleeping in the common room. We usually stayed down in the common room, being woken up around seven in the morning when people started getting up for breakfast.

One particularly late night, we were sitting in our usual position, going through Defense Against the Dark Arts notes. Olivia started nodding off, leaning her head against my shoulder and closing her eyes while I was explaining to her the proper way to defend yourself against inferi.

"Livy? Are you even paying attention?" I asked, gently shaking her. Her eyes opened and she looked at me.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "This is just so boring. I mean, I barely pay attention in class. How do you expect me to pay attention now?" I grinned at her, getting an idea. I lifted her into my arms and walked out of the portrait hole, heading towards the Room of Requirement. "Sirius, where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see," I said, grinning from ear to ear. I walked past the tapestry a few times, then saw the door appear. I opened it, putting Olivia down on the ground. The room was stocked with notes, books, and other tools we needed for studying. Our bed was also in the center of the room, perfectly made for us.

"Sirius, what's going on?" she asked again, looking confused.

"Well, I thought we'd play a game to help you study. We'll pick a subject, then quiz each other about things that are likely to come up on the exam. If I get a question right, I get to pick an area on me for you to kiss. But If I get it wrong, I have to take off a piece of clothing. Same rules apply to you. What do you want to work on first?"

Olivia grinned at me, obviously happy with the game idea. I knew I could somehow get her to be interested in studying if I added in sexual favors. "Let's start with Charms. I'm not very good at it."

I smiled before grabbing a Charms book off the shelf and turning to a page. "What's the spell used to summon objects?"

She smiled. "That's an easy one. Accio!"

"Good job," I said. I had started with a simple one before I started on the really difficult charms. "Where am I kissing?"

"Right here," she said, pointing to the side of her neck. I dragged my nose up her throat, gently pressing my lips against her skin. "Okay, your turn." She flipped through the book, obviously looking for something difficult. "What spell would you use to move someone who has been knocked out from one place to another?"

"Mobilicorpus," I said in a bored voice. I saw her face fall when I gave the correct answer. "Right here," I said, pointing to my lips. She sauntered over, wrapping her arms around my neck and forcing her lips onto mine. I wound my arms around her waist and moved my hands under her shirt and up her back, gently rubbing her soft skin.

"Okay, that's your kiss," she said, pulling her hand off me. "Ask me another question."

"How do you produce water from your wand?"

"Uh, what?" she asked, looking at me confused. "Did we even learn that?"

"Yes," I said, smiling. "It's Agumenti. Remove," I said, smirking at her. She flipped me the bird before throwing her ugly sweater off, leaving her in a thin, white tank top and her jeans. She was pouting as I passed her the book.

"Okay. How do you produce birds from your wand?"

"Avis," I answered simply. She glared at me as I laughed and pointed to my tongue. She pressed her lips to mine again, this time forcing her tongue into my mouth and running her fingers through my hair. I slid my hands down over her butt, pulling her close to my body. She grinned at me before pulling her lips off me.

"Another question."

"Hmm," I said, thinking aloud. "What spell do you use to fight off a dementor?"

"Oh, I know this one!" she said, before her face fell. "Patro—patron—a patronus!" she said triumphantly.

"The incantation, dear," I reminded her.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"Expecto Patronum. Remove, please." She pulled her tank top and threw it in my face. I knew she was mad—she hated losing anything, especially to me. I looked at her, sitting there in her white lacy bra and ripped jeans. "You know, I think we should stop there for now," I said, taking her hand and pulling her close to me. I dragged my lips along her exposed collarbone, watching her shiver. I reached down and undid the button to her jeans, slowly sliding them off her legs.

She moved her hands underneath my shirt, sliding it over my head, then moving down to my pants. They were off in an instant. She stood in front of me in her matching bra and thong, grinning at me mischievously. She jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist. I carried her over to the bed, laying her down before climbing on top of her. I guess we could study more tomorrow night…

***

OPOV

Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god. It was today. N.E.W.T.s started today, and I did not feel ready for them at all. Sirius, Remus, James, Lily, and Claire were all helping me study, but I still felt like I knew nothing.

"Relax, love," Sirius said, wrapping an arm around my waist as we waited for the practical portion of the Charms exam Monday morning. We went in five at a time alphabetically, then headed back to our common room without seeing the others outside waiting. Unfortunately, I was one of the last in our group to go. I saw the fifth years walking by us on the way to the Great Hall for the theory portion of their exam. We would switch off after lunch, seventh years taking theory and fifth years taking the practical part.

"Black, Black, Dolohov, Dow, Evans," Professor Marchbanks called. Sirius kissed my cheek before heading into the room, followed by his cousin Narcissa, who shot me a nasty look, Antonin Dolohov, Jane Dow, and Lily. Jane elbowed Lily in the side as they walked in. Lily had been getting a lot of threats and stares since people found out she was Muggle-born. I gave her a small smile before she disappeared through the door, leaving me outside with James, Peter, Remus, and Claire.

I chatted quietly with James and Peter while Remus and Claire held hands, talking nervously about what they thought was going to be on the exam. After about 20 minutes, Professor Marchbanks came out, taking the next five students. Claire and Remus waved goodbye to us as we wished them luck.

I pressed my back against the wall, breathing in and out quietly, hoping I wasn't about to threw up.

The door opened again. "Parker, Pettigrew, Prewett, Potter, Rosier," she called. I stood up, shaking. James nudged me. I walked forward, gripping my wand tightly in my hand. "Miss Parker, you can go see Professor Tofty." I nodded quickly, walking over to the smiling professor.

"Hello, Miss Parker," he greeted me. I attempted to speak, but I didn't have a voice. "No need to be nervous," he said, noticing my pale, terrified face. "I'm just going to ask you to perform a few spells for me." He placed a rat on the table in front of me. "Could you please change the color of this rat?"

I nodded, pointing my wand at it. "_Vernus mutatio!_" I said, praying I had the right spell. To my surprise, the rat changed to a green color.

"Oh, wonderful!" he said, making a note on his parchment. "Now, could you please fill this water glass."

He handed me a cup. I pointed my wand at it. "_Agumenti!_" I cried, and the glass magically filled with water.

"Very good, very good," he said. "Let's move on…"

***

"Sirius!" I shouted, running into the common room. My wonderful, fabulous, amazing boyfriend looked up from his notes, smiling at me. He stood up, and I jumped into his arms, kissing him passionately on the lips.

"I'm guessing you did well then?" he asked once we'd separated.

"I did perfect! Professor Tofty said I had the best examination he'd ever seen. I did everything right, and it's all thanks to you. If you hadn't been helping me study all week, I know I would have failed. Thank you, thank you, thank you baby!"

I heard James laughing and I turned to look at him. He was smirking at us, his arms around Lily's neck. "I'm pretty sure Padfoot didn't mind helping you study. Alone. In the Room of Requirement."

"You told him?" I groaned, covering my red face.

"No, he didn't," Peter piped in. "We were just worried about where you guys were, so we checked the map, and saw you walking towards the seventh floor before disappearing off the map. It only took James about three seconds to guess what you guys were up to." He wiggled his eyebrows at us.

"We were just studying!" I said defensively, crossing my arms.

James laughed, reaching into his pocket. "Really?" he asked. "Then I guess this isn't yours, huh?" He held up my white, lace thong. I gasped before grabbing it out of his hands and shoving it into my back pocket.

"Oh my god, Olivia!" Lily laughed, falling back on to the couch. Claire was laughing so hard, she was shaking while Remus just rolled his eyes at us.

"That room's going to need to be disinfected before I ever set foot in it again," James joked, clapping Sirius on the shoulder. My face was still blazing—I was so humiliated. "Olivia, relax," he said, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "You're among friends here—we're not judging you. It's not like we all haven't done the same thing."

"We haven't," Claire said.

"No way!" Lily gasped. "You haven't given it up to Moony yet? I mean, even James and I have spent a few nights together in the Room of Requirement together. I thought I was the last one of our group to lose it."

"Well, we've only been dating for two months. We don't want to rush anything," Remus said logically. I wish I'd had his mindset when I gave my precious gift up to Jacob Davies my fourth year. "It'll happen when we're both ready and willing," he said.

"Whatever, man," Sirius said, pulling me onto his lap. "How are you three feeling about Arithmancy tomorrow?"

"Good," I said. "I could do that exam in my sleep, I'm so prepared. I mean, when my mom was teaching me last year, she kind of focused on that. After all, it was her best subject when she went here. She almost taught it, but then she got pregnant with me and decide to stay home and raise me instead."

"What do you mean, your mom taught you last year?" Claire asked. "I thought you were studying abroad at Beauxbatons Academy."

"Nope," I said, enlightening Claire. Since she was new to our group, she didn't know all of our secrets. Like three of us were unregistered animagi. I wasn't sure if Moony had bothered to tell her if he was a werewolf or not, but knowing Claire, she'd probably already figured it out. She was in Ravenclaw, after all. "My parents and I were forced into hiding last year. We were on the run from You-Know-Who. He has this idea in his head that I'm some kind of prize, and he wants me for himself. He had some of his Death Eaters murder my parents over the holidays, and even put one of them in the Aurors office so he could know where I was at all times."

"Oh my gosh!" Claire gasped. "That's so scary! Is he still looking for you?"

I nodded. "Dumbledore and I have been working out a protection schedule once I leave the castle so I'm not a turkey on Thanksgiving Day. I mean, the Death Eaters have been told bring me back, and kill anyone who gets in their way."

"Aren't you scared?"

"Terrified. But I have all my friends and a whole team of Aurors who are both looking for him and willing to protect me with their lives."

"Plus, you have amazing friends who would do anything for you," Sirius said, nuzzling my neck. "And a super amazing, sexy, talented boyfriend, if I do say so myself." I playfully whacked him on the nose, running my fingers through my hair.

"I love how you're so modest," I joked, leaning back into his chest. He kissed me on the cheek while everyone else sat around, waiting until lunch so we could finish the exam.

***

The rest of the week went well. I Arithmancy, like I told Sirius, was easy. I could have done that exam with one eye closed and one hand tied behind my back. I only had one problem during transfiguring where I had accidentally changed the needle into a rat instead of a raven like I was supposed to, and I had no idea how it had happened.

That weekend, it was studying time again. I felt good about Potions and Herbology. Ancient Runes could go one way or another, but I felt hopeless about Defense Against the Dark Arts. "Why are you even taking that if you want to be a Healer?" Sirius asked me Saturday evening while I was lying on the floor of the common room, going over the difference between the three Unforgivable curses.

"It's useful, especially into today's world. I mean, I'd like to defend myself against You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters, especially since they're hunting me." I rolled onto my back, looking up at the ceiling. I glanced over by the fire, where Remus and Claire were lying on the couch, wrapped in each other's arms, sleeping. Lily, James, and Peter were at one of the tables, letting Peter practice his palmistry skills on them.

Sirius placed his hand on my abdomen and slid it under the shirt I was wearing, rubbing my stomach.

"Knock it off, Padfoot," I warned. "I'm studying here." He grinned wickedly at me, moving his lips to my throat and gently sucking on the skin, making me shiver with delight. "Stop," I said weakly. He grinned in triumph, lifting me off the ground and into his arms.

He carried me up the stairs to his dormitory, lying me on his bed. He climbed in next to me, pulling his blankets over us and wrapping his arms around me. "Why are you even wearing my shirt?" he asked me. "It's much too loose on you. I'd prefer something tighter on you. You know, so I can ogle you without you knowing."

"Well, now that I know that's what you do when my clothes are tight, I'm only going to wear ugly, bulky sweaters from now on," I teased. "And I'm wearing it because it smells like you. That way, even when you're not with me, you are with me. And when I sleep, my bed now smells like you, so it's like I'm sleeping next to you."

He smiled before pecking me on the cheek. "I never realized how obsessed you are with me," he joked.

"Way to ruin the mood," I sighed, snuggling into his chest. He wrapped his arms around my body, pulling me even closer into him. "I love you," I said to him.

"I know you do. And I love you too." He bent his head towards mine, kissing me on the lips. Before long, he had deepened the kiss, swinging his leg over my body so he was sitting on top of me. He pinned my arms to the mattress, keeping his hands around my wrists. He moved his lips down my jaw line, trailing kisses the whole time. He made his way to my collarbone, nipping at the skin there.

He let go of my wrists, moving his hands to my waist. He fumbled with the button on me jeans, yanking them off me. I lied there on his bed, in his oversized t-shirt and my red lace thong.

"You really need to wear actual underwear," he said, staring down at me. "This skimpy shit turns me on too much." He slid his hands up my thighs, stopping at my hip bone. He looked down at me, a serious expression on his face.

"What's wrong, love?" I asked, pushing myself up so I was sitting instead of lying down.

He sighed before reaching into his pocket and pulling something small out. "I wanted to wait to do this. You know, wait until we were out of school and find the right time, but now is just as good as any time." He got off the bed, and I was about to protest, until he got down on one knee and held a ring in front of my face. "Olivia Marie Parker, will you do the honor of becoming my wife?"

I gasped, coving my mouth with my hand. A few tears started falling out of my eyes, and I hastily wiped them away. "You're asking me to marry you?"

"I told you I would," he said, smirking at me. "I told you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You're the only girl for me. So, what do you say?" He held the ring, looking slightly anxious. I held my left hand out to him, and he slid the ring onto my finger. "Is that a yes?"

"Of course it's a yes. I love you—I wouldn't want to spend my life with anyone but you."

"Good," he said, climbing into bed next to me. "Now, there are a few things we need to discuss."

"Discuss?" I asked in an amused voice.

"Sure. Like kids."

"Love them," I said. "Maybe one of two?"

"One or two?" he asked in a disappointed voice. "I was thinking more like six or seven…"

"Hey, now. You're not carrying them around in your body for nine months, then pushing them out. "

"Fair enough," he admitted. "Now, future Mrs. Black, go to sleep. Dream about a happy life with me instead of exams." He kissed me on the forehead, and I closed my eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.

***

Monday morning, Sirius and I headed straight to the dungeons for our potion practical. I felt very relaxed as I brewed the Draught of the Living Death. My potion turned out well, but I could tell it wasn't as good as Snape's, which was the exact color it should have been. I shrugged my shoulders, scooping some of it into a vile and labeling it, turning it in for grading.

Then, it was Tuesday. Time for Defense Against the Dark Arts. I watched Sirius, Lily, Claire, and Remus all go in to take the practical portion, waiting outside with James and Peter like I had done for Charms and Transfiguration. Eventually, the P's were called in, and I went over and stood by an old witch.

"Hello dear," she said, looking over her sheet of parchment at me. "Are you ready for your examination?" I nodded nervously. "No need to be nervous," she said. "Just try your best. That's all anyone can ask for."

"Marilynn?" a warm voice asked. The witch turned around and saw Professor Dumbledore standing behind her.

"Oh, hello Albus," she said. "What can I do for you?"

"Would you mind if I examined Miss Parker myself?"

"I don't know. She is one of your students, after all…"

"I promise to be fair and unbiased. Besides, you've been in here all day. You could use a break before the O.W.L. students this afternoon."

"I suppose you're right." The witch got up and walked over to Professor Marchbanks while Dumbledore took a seat in front of me.

He smiled at me with his twinkling blue eyes. "First, I want to let you know how proud I am of you. I've been hearing excellent things from the examiners. You've been doing excellent work, better than a lot of the other students, and you missed an entire year of schooling. Second, I heard through talk that you and Mr. Black are now engaged. Let me offer my congratulations."

"You heard that?" I asked, not surprised. Dumbledore knew almost everything that went on in the castle. "Well, thank you, sir."

"You're very welcome. Now, I have one question before we start the exam. Have you given any consideration to joining the Order of the Phoenix once you leave school?"

"Order of the Phoenix?" I asked. "Isn't that the organization that's fighting You-Know-Who?"

"Call him Voldemort, Olivia. Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself. And yes, that is what we do. I created the order back when Voldemort was gaining a lot of power, but we've grown in numbers more recently. I think having someone like you in the order would be great. Of course, we'd love to have Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, Miss Evans, Mr. Lupin, Miss Lynch, and Mr. Pettigrew as well. You don't have to tell me yes or no right now. Just give it some thought."

I nodded at him before he started the examination. Once I finished, I headed back to my dorm, thinking. If You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters were looking for me once I left Hogwarts, wouldn't the best chance for survival be joining the order? I knew there were Aurors and other people in the Ministry who were part of the order, and they would all be there to help protect me. I climbed through the portrait hole, thinking becoming an order member was probably the best thing I could do to survive.

**Reviews? Please and thank you!**


	18. Graduation

Chapter 17: Graduation

OPOV

Word that Sirius Black and I were engaged spread through the school like the plague. I had random girls coming up to me in the corridors, congratulating me and asking to see my ring. I would hear them whispering as they walked away, wondering if the reason we had gotten engaged was because I was pregnant.

Since N.E.W.T.s were over, we really had nothing else to worry about in terms of schooling. Sure, there were final exams, but we were all ready for them having spent months studying. Instead of paying attention to Professor Flitwick in Charms, Lily thought that was the perfect time to discuss wedding plans. Claire would usually listen in, occasionally adding her opinions into the mix

"So," she asked me one day. "When do you want the wedding to be?"

"I don't know, Lily," I sighed. "I haven't even been engaged for a month, and you're already asking me about the wedding."

"Well, you should start making some plans," Claire added practically. "I could draw up a wedding schedule for you. You know, when to go dress shopping, when to sample the food, when to book the reception location…"

"Claire, calm down," I said, placing my hand on her arm. "I'll figure it all out later. I just need to breathe and take in the fact that I'm going to marry Sirius."

"So, it's true, then?" Narcissa Black asked, turning around to stare at the three of us. She was sitting next to Jane Dow, who looked at the three of us smugly. "I thought someone was playing a cruel joke because there's no way my cousin, a Pureblood from the Noble and Ancient House of Black, would choose a filthy blood traitor like you."

"At least she's not a Mudblood like Evans and Lynch are," Jane sneered. "But do you really think you should be making wedding plans, Parker? I mean, who knows if you'll be around long enough to get married?"

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" I hissed at her.

"I just think the Dark Lord has plans for you. And they don't involve you marrying Black."

"How exactly would you know his plans for me?" I said stiffly, crossing my arms. Lily and Claire looked nervously from Jane to me.

"I thought you were smart, Parker," she said haughtily. "Why do you _think_ I know? I'm in his service, of course. You may be safe right now, but once you leave the castle, I'd watch my back if I were you." She gave me a glare before turning around in her seat, whispering something to Narcissa.

I rolled my eyes at the back of their heads, turning my attention back to the parchment I was sketching on. Someone said something, but I wasn't really paying attention. "Olivia!" I looked up and saw Claire and Lily glaring at me.

"What?" I mumbled.

"What are you doing about bridesmaids?"

"Oh, I dunno. I guess you two could be them. I mean, you're my best friends, after all."

Lily sighed. "You need three since there are going to be three groomsmen. You know, James, Remus, and Peter—Sirius wouldn't have it any other way."

I thought for a moment. I didn't have many girl friends, and the ones I had before I left I didn't have any more. "Uh, I could ask Leighton, but we haven't talked in awhile. Or there's Ellie," I suggested.

"Oh! I have a great idea!" Claire said. "Remember when you told me about that woman Auror—I forget her name—the one who was engaged?"

"Alice," I said. "Alice Prewett, well now Longbottom."

"Yeah, her. Why don't you ask her to be your third bridesmaid? She sounds super sweet."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I mean, I guess I could. If she would even want to –she's married now. She and Frank were married in the fall. She sent me a picture. Here," I said, reaching into my bag and pulling out the small photo album I carried with me at all times. I flipped to the page with Alice and Frank, dancing at their wedding.

"She's so pretty!" Lily gushed, looking at the brown-haired beauty known as Alice Prewett Longbottom. "And he's pretty cute too," she added, blushing slightly.

"Pretty cute?" Claire asked. "He's _really_ cute. Like, Muggle actor cute."

"Okay, you two," I said, closing the album and putting it back in my bag. "First, he's married to the love of his life. Second, he's way too old for either of you. And third, you both have amazing boyfriends who you care about."

"We know," Lily said, her cheeks pink. "We were just kidding, anyways. But you should owl her tonight and ask if she'd be interested. I'd love to meet her after hearing all the brave things she and her husband did for you."

"Yeah, seriously," Claire added. "They both seem like sweet, genuine people. And I'm sure she wouldn't mind being paired with Peter."

"Peter?" I asked. "Why Peter?"

"Well, because I'm obviously going to be paired with Jamie and Claire will be with Wolfie," Lily said matter-of-factly. "I mean, I love Peter and all, but I'd rather be with my boyfriend, and I'm pretty sure Claire would like to be with hers, right Claire Bear?"

"Obviously," Claire said, doodling on her parchment.

"So, I have a question for the two of you," I said.

"What?" Claire and Lily asked at the same time.

"Which one of you will be next?" I laughed.

"Next?" Lily asked, looking confused.

"Next down the aisle, of course," I said. "I mean, you and James have been together this whole year, Lily. And, even though you and Remus haven't been together for long, I can tell you really love each other, Claire. My bet's on you and Jamie, just because he's been after you since fifth year. And because it took my intervention to even get Remus to ask you out. I don't even want to know how long it will take him to propose."

"I think you're crazy," Lily snorted, shaking her head. "I mean, I'm only eighteen. I'm not ready to be someone's wife yet—not that there's anything wrong with that," she added hastily, glancing at me.

"And normally, I would agree with you. But these are different times, Lils. I mean, you see how many people go missing every month. That could be any of us—we're all at risk. Claire, you're dating a werewolf. Lily, you're Muggleborn. And I'm on You-Know-Who's Most Wanted list. Why should I wait any longer when I don't even know if I'll make it to my nineteenth birthday?"

"I see your point, Livy," Claire said. "And you're right. Last month, my neighbor, Andrew Wilkes, went missing. His house was ransacked—it looked like he'd just been dragged off in the middle of the night or something. He was found yesterday. Well, they think it was him. They're still unsure because it was only a hand. But there was a tattoo on the wrist that Mr. Wilkes had. I mean, that could be me next."

"Exactly," I said. I looked around to make sure no one was listening to us. They weren't—everyone was having their own conversations since Professor Flitwick had given up teaching. He was sitting at his desk reading _The Daily Prophet_ instead. "Listen, I have something to tell you two."

"What is it, Livy?" Claire asked, sounding slightly worried.

"I'm joining the Order of the Phoenix."

"The Order of the Phoenix?" Lily asked. "Isn't that the anti-You-Know-Who group Dumbledore created? The one with all the Aurors?"

I nodded. "The very one. I didn't tell you guys this, but Dumbledore asked me to join once I left Hogwarts. He also said he'd love to have you too, along with the Marauders. And, I think it's my best chance of survival. I mean, I'll have a group of people who are doing everything they can to stop You-Know-Who."

"But…isn't it very dangerous?" Claire asked. "I mean, I heard they go on missions where you might not come back alive."

"There is that risk, but once I leave the school, I'm going to run that risk walking outside to get some fresh air. Why not do something useful? Plus, a lot of people belong to it. Frank and Alice, Molly and Arthur Weasley, Mad-Eye, the McKinnons. I also know the Prewett twins are talking about joining once they leave."

"I…I have to think about it," Claire said, looking a little unsure.

"I don't know," Lily said. "I would love to, but I don't know what James will say about me joining something like that. Speaking of, what does Sirius think?"

"Oh, he doesn't know," I said softly.

Lily gave me a look. "You're thinking of joining an organization to risk your life, and you haven't bothered to tell your fiancée yet? He'll be furious when he finds out."

"No, he won't. I'm going to tell him tonight. And I'm going to ask the guys to join with me. I know Sirius will want to join—anything to stick it to his parents."

"I hope you're right, Livy. You know he gets when you deliberately put yourself in danger."

***

SPOV

I was sitting in the common room one night about a few weeks before we were due to graduate. James and I were having an epic wizard chess match wile Remus and Peter looked on intently. Claire, Lily, and Olivia weren't here, but it didn't surprise us—they'd been spending all their time in the library, planning out wedding. Well, Claire and Lily were, dragging Olivia with them.

I chuckled, imagining Olivia sitting there while her two best friends shoved dress designs, music choices, and flower arrangements under her nose.

"What are you laughing at, Padfoot?" James asked, smirking at me. "I wouldn't be chuckling if I were you. Knight to E5," he said. I watched as his knight demolished my queen. "Checkmate. Pay up." I grumbled as I fished a galleon out of my pocket and handed it over to him. He smirked at me while Wormtail gave him a high-five and Moony just shook his head.

The portrait opened, and Olivia came in, followed by Claire and Lily. Olivia looked a little nervous, so I went over to her, pecking her lightly on the cheek. "What's wrong, Love?" I asked.

"I need to talk to all of you," she said, addressing me and my three friends. Raising an eyebrow, I took a seat on the couch next to James.

"What's up, Livy?" Moony asked.

"Well, I have a—a proposition for the four of you. I didn't tell you this, but during my N.E.W.T. examination, Professor Dumbledore asked me something. Have you guys heard of the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Yeah, sure," James said. "My parents are sort-of a part of it. They help out whenever Dumbledore needs them too. It's like, an anti-Voldemort group." Peter flinched when James said the name. "Oh, grow up, Wormtail," he laughed, punching Peter on the shoulder.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah, basically. Well, Dumbledore asked me if I wanted to join once I left Hogwarts, and I decided to do it."

"No!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. "No way. Absolutely not!"

"Thirty seconds," Lily remarked, looking at her watch. "I was closest. Pay up, ladies," she said to Claire and Olivia. Both of them handed her a Sickle.

"What's going on?" Moony asked.

"Oh, we bet on how long it would take Sirius to flip out over this. I said it would be under a minute, Claire said it would take two and a half, and Olivia said he wouldn't flip out. Obviously, I won."

"How could you even _consider_ joining?" I seethed at her. "You do know what happens to people in the Order, right?"

"Sirius, calm down," she said. "I wasn't finished. What I was going to say was that Dumbledore wants all of us to join the Order. He thinks we would be really valuable members. And, think about it love—there will be all these Aurors and other qualified wizards who will be able to protect me from the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who."

"_I_ can protect you," I muttered.

She sighed. "I know you can, but these are people who are trained in the way to fight Death Eaters, and Dumbledore said that when I'd go on missions, someone would always be with me. So you see? It would be safe. And we'd be working to stop You-Know-Who so we could actually start a life together without him and his followers always trying to capture me."

"Mate, she has a point," James said, looking at the two of us.

"Yeah, Sirius," Remus added. "She's making a lot of sense. And you know Dumbledore wouldn't be asking her to join if he thought she was going to get killed or something."

I glared at the two of them. So much for marauders having each other's backs. "Well," I said through clenched teeth. "Well, I guess I can understand your desire to join. And, if you're joining this Order, so am I."

Olivia's eyes lit up. "Really?" she screeched, jumping into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me into a deep kiss. I wound my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me. After a moment, I set her back on the ground.

"Yeah, I want to join too, Liv," James said, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm sure Dumbledore would appreciate this werewolf's help. I'm in."

"If you're joining, I'm with you," Claire said, taking Moony's hand. "I'm not letting you do this if I'm not by your side." She kissed him lightly on the cheek as he smiled at her.

"Jamie," Lily sighed, stepping forward.

"Lils, no," Prongs warned.

"I have to. They're going to be coming after me too—I'm a Mudblood."

"Lily! Don't call yourself that!" Olivia hissed.

"It's true! Everyone calls me it. Well, I'm a Mudblood and damn proud of it!" she proclaimed to the common room. "Call me what you want, but I'm still top of our year. And I'm joining the Order of the Phoenix with you lot," she said happily.

"I'm with you all," Peter said. "This rat might as well do something useful with his life. I think fighting You-Know-Who would be a worthwhile thing to do. Maybe I can take out a few Death Eaters while I'm at it!" he laughed.

"That's the spirit!" Olivia sang, jumping up and down happily. "I'm so overjoyed that all of you want to join. Dumbledore will be thrilled when I tell him. He said we can join as soon as we leave Hogwarts."

"But what about Auror training?" James asked. "How are we supposed to do both the Order and training?"

"Mate, we have to get in first," I reminded him. "If we didn't get the required marks on our N.E.W.T.s, we need to find another career. I'm thinking hit-wizard for the Ministry."

"You know, you have to have almost the same marks for that as you do for an Auror," Olivia reminded us. "Maybe not for Potions and Transfiguration, but certainly for Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I'd say the two of you would better be suited as dish washers at the Leaky Cauldron," she laughed. "It's okay, love. I'll be able to support us once I'm a healer."

"If you got the required Potions grade," I reminded her.

"I did," she said smugly. "Dumbledore told me yesterday. He already sent a letter to St. Mungo's and told them they should admit me to their training program because I'm a kind, caring, and intelligent person."

"You've obviously been a very good actress around him," Moony teased. "Since, as far as I know, you are neither kind nor caring, and you are certainly _not_ intelligent."

"Oh, shut it, wolf," she snapped, wrapping her arms around my waist. I kissed her on the top of the head, rubbing her back.

"You'll be a great healer, love," I said to her. She rested her head on my chest, smiling at me.

"Aw, you two are so sweet it makes me sick," Peter said, pretending to gag. I shot a glare in his direction, and he shut up.

"Congrats, Liv," Remus said. Olivia let go of me and threw her arms around him, pulling him into a big hug. "You'll do awesome," he said, squeezing her tightly before releasing her.

"Way to go, Livy!" Lily cheered, throwing her arms around Olivia's neck. "Now, when I get hurt during my Auror training, you can make me all better."

Olivia laughed. "Thanks you guys. It really means a lot that you think I'd make a good healer. I just hope I don't crash and burn my first day."

"You won't," Claire said confidently. "Now, I think you should owl Alice and ask her."

"Alice?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at Olivia. "Who's Alice?"

She sighed. "Alice Prewett Longbottom. She's an Auror who helped protect me while I was on the run last year. She was engaged then, but she got married this past fall to Frank Longbottom. She's a total sweetheart and absolutely stunning. My two self-proclaimed bridesmaids here think I should ask her to be the third one."

I looked at her for a moment. "Love, we haven't even set a date yet."

"I know," she sighed. "But dumb and dumber think I should ask her now. So I am."

"Okay, love," I said. "Whatever you want."

***

OPOV

Graduation day. It was here. In a few hours, I would no longer be a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I would be Olivia Parker, educated witch. Fiancée of Sirius Black. Number on target of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. And, soon, a member of the Order of the Phoenix.

I sighed, looking over myself in the mirror. I had on a blue dress Lily had picked out with a white sweater over it. My hair was curled and piled on the top of my head. Claire had done my makeup for me. I had to admit—I looked hot.

I glanced around the dorm. This would be my last time in it. Everything was packed up. I looked around, remembering all the good times we'd had here. There was still a small hole in the wall from third year when Lily had playfully pushed me and my head accidentally went through the wall. There was still the spot on the floor from fifth year when Lily thought it was a good idea to try and brew a babbling brew and slip it into James's pumpkin juice.

I shook my head and laughed softly, not believing I was actually leaving Hogwarts. I looked over at Lily. "You ready?" She nodded, and the two of us made our way down to the common room, where the four boys were waiting for us.

"You look beautiful," Sirius murmured, placing a hand on my waist.

"Thanks, love," I said, placing a kiss on his cheek. He took my hand, and the six of us made our way down to the Great Hall, where we met Claire. She beamed at Remus, and the seven of us found a row of seats. In front of us, I spotted Jane Dow and Narcissa Black sitting together. Jane turned around, smirking at me. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing," she sneered. "Ready to leave Hogwarts?"

"Uh, yeah," I said, a little confused. When had Jane ever spoken to me without insulting me?

Jane gave me a triumphant look before turning back to Narcissa and whispering something in her ear. The two of them burst into laughter. I stared at them, confused as to what was going on.

"Welcome, one and all!" Professor Dumbledore called, standing at the front of the room. He had on long robes of deep blue. The rest of the staff was lined up beside him. "First, I must offer you all a congratulations. You have all made it through your education here, completely unharmed. Well, maybe not completely," he said, chuckling. Everyone in the room laughed softly. It was impossible to be at Hogwarts without having been injured at least once.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "You've formed friendships that will last you a lifetime." I glanced over at Lily and Claire, giving them a small smile. "And relationships," he continued. "Relationships that will now have to endure the real world." Sirius put his arm around me and pulled me into his chest, kissing my forehead. "Now, as you make your way into the world, you'll have to make your own decisions. Around us, there is a war going on. Which side will you chose? Good or Evil? The right thing or power? Light or dark?" Dumbledore looked at us all. "Now is the time for all you to make your own decisions. No professor can give you the right answer. This is life. And now, you are all living it." He started clapping, and soon everyone joined in.

Dumbledore took a seat and Professor McGonagall stepped forward. "Before we begin, there are a few announcements to make. First, I would like to announce the top three students this year. When I call your name, please come forward and join me up here. Remus J Lupin of Gryffindor, Claire S Lynch of Ravenclaw, and Lily H Evans of Gryffindor." The three of them smiled at us before getting out of their seats and making their way to the front of the Great Hall to the applause of everyone.

Professor McGonagall handed something to each of them, and Lily gave her a hug. I swore I even saw a genuine smile on Professor McGonagall's face as Lily headed back to her seat.

Professor Dumbledore stood back up. "Now, it's time to hand out your diplomas. When your name is called, please come forward to receive your diploma. Narcissa R Black, you're first." He smiled at Sirius's cousin, who got out of her seat and walked up, snatching the parchment out of Dumbledore's hand and heading back to her seat without even shaking his hand. "Sirius O Black." I gave him a quick kiss before he got up and headed forward, shaking Dumbledore's hand heartily. He was laughing as he headed back to his seat.

This continued for a while, with most people shaking Dumbledore's hand and smiling happily as they made their way back to their seats. "Olivia M Parker," he called. I took a deep breath before headed to the front. I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I walked forward, but I ignored the feeling and stood in front of Dumbledore. "Congratulations, Miss Parker," he said, beaming at me. I took the parchment and ignored his hand, giving him a hug instead. He looked surprised, but hugged me back. I gave him a smile before heading back to my seat.

Dumbledore finished up with the remaining students. He looked out at all of us. "Congratulations, and good luck!" he said. I felt Sirius's arm loosen around me. I looked over and saw he was standing on his chair, as were James, Remus, and Peter. They pointed their wands at the ceiling, and a figure shot out of each one—a stag from James, a dog from Sirius, a wolf from Remus, and a rat from Peter. They exploded in a shower of sparks, and when that had cleared, we saw all four were on the ceiling with MWPP written beneath them. The marauders were making sure no one would ever forget them.

The Great Hall burst into applause with even the teachers beaming at the four of them. Everyone then got up from their seats and headed outside to wait for the carriages to bring us to the Hogwarts Express for our final journey on it.

The seven of us crammed into one compartment in the back of the train, playing games of Exploding Snap and buying everything off the food cart.

"I can't believe we're done," Claire said sadly. "Hogwarts has been my home for seven years, and now it's not. It's very sad."

"I know," Lily remarked. "Well, now all we have to do is wait for our N.E.W.T. results so we can go out and find a job. Well, most of us do, at least," she said, grinning at me. I shoved her gently, laughing.

Eventually, the train pulled into Platform Nine and Three Quarters. We all got off the train, pulling our trunks behind us. James's parents were there waiting for us, as were Lily's family, Remus's mother, and Peter's father. I looked around at everyone saying goodbye to their friends, wondering when they would see them again. It was sad.

I looked to the left and saw Jane Dow strolling towards me. "I'll be right back," I muttered to Sirius, walking over to her. She was smirking at me like she knew something I didn't. "I need to tell you something."

"Go ahead," I said stiffly. "I'm right here."

"OLIVIA!" Sirius shouted, a note of panic in his voice. I spun around as I saw a group of people heading towards me. They were all in black cloaks wit masks on their faces. I started to run, but Jane grabbed my arm and I saw everything around me disappear as Jane apparated me somewhere.

I hit the ground hard and I opened my eyes. I was in some small, run down shack, surrounded by Death Eaters.

"Well, hello Olivia," a voice said. I looked up and saw Lord Voldemort staring down at me triumphantly. After two years, he finally had me. I screamed before passing out on the ground.


	19. Battle Wounds

Chapter 18: Battle Wounds

**AN: Sorry, sorry, sorry about the long delay. I promise I didn't die. I just had a ridiculous amount of school stuff to deal with since I'm transferring. Anyways, enjoy.**

OPOV

My eyes fluttered open. Regulus Black, Sirius' brother, was looking down at me with concern. "Oh, thank goodness you're all right," he said, sighing with relief. "I thought something was wrong—you've been unconscious for almost an hour."

"I have?" I asked weakly, my voice sounding hoarse. I sat up, looking around. I was no longer in the room I arrived in. Instead, I was seated on a bed in a small room. There was no one else in here except Regulus. "What's going on?" I asked. "Where is everyone else—there was an entire group of people when I arrived, and now it's only you."

Regulus smiled at me, moving over and taking a seat next to me. He took my hand in his, and I let him. It was comforting, especially since I didn't know where I was or what was going to happen to me.

"They're all still here," she said. "I'm just your guard. You know, the person to make sure you don't escape before they're done with you."

"Done with me?" I asked. "What do you mean? What's going to happen to me?" I said, starting to panic.

"Don't worry," he soothed. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. After all, you're my future sister-in-law, right?" he laughed. "I can't let anything happen to you or my brother would kill me. Well, he'd kill me anyways since I've joined up with the Dark Lord."

"Why?" I asked him. "Why'd you join the Death Eaters? They're vile creature. Scum of the earth."

"I know," he said quietly. "I thought it was what my parents wanted me to do. And I thought it was what _I_ wanted to do, but it isn't. I hate it here, and I don't agree with what he's doing. Not anymore, at least."

"Why not anymore?" I said, giving him a look.

Regulus sighed and pulled something out of his pocket. He handed me a piece of parchment and I looked at it. It was a letter—a love letter—between him and a girl named Vera. The letter talked about them running away together that fall.

"Who is she?" I asked. I couldn't remember anyone named Vera at Hogwarts. He sighed again and handed me a picture. It was the image of a very pretty blonde girl, but she was still in the picture. "She's a Muggle?" I gasped.

He nodded.

"Does she know what you are?"

"Yes, I told her. I was in London doing something for the Death Eaters when I saw her. She was coming out of a store when someone bumped into her and caused her to drop everything she was carrying. I went over to help her, and I fell in love with her. She's so funny. And smart. And beautiful. And she makes me feel like a better person, like I'm worth something in this life."

"She sounds amazing, Regulus," I said. "How old is she?"

"She'll be seventeen in August. That's why we're waiting until the fall—we want to wait until she's at least seventeen before we run away together. She's pregnant," he added quietly.

"She's what?" I asked.

"She told me yesterday. She just found out. We're going to get married, and we're going to hide. Hide somewhere he can't find me, because he'll come after me when he finds out I've deserted him. And he'll kill her. And our baby. I can't let that happen."

"Reg, you know that won't work. I hid for a year, and he still got me in the end. It's pointless to hide. You should just let him kill me now, because we both know it will happen eventually. You should get out now, get Vera, and leave the country. Go somewhere remote where no one would even think to look."

"Olivia, I'm not going to let him kill you. Not now, not ever. It would devastate Sirius, and I care about him enough not to let that happen. I have a plan to get you out of here safely, and before he can bind the two of you together for eternity."

"Wait, what?" I asked, sounding hysterical. "Bind us together for eternity? As in, marry us?"

"No, it's much more powerful than a marriage. You two would be bonded forever. He's know what you were feeling at all times, and he'd always be able to find you, no matter what kind of spells were protecting you."

"Why don't I get that with Sirius, then? We'd be joined together forever, and then maybe Vo—Voldemort would stop hunting me down!"

Regulus shook his head. "This is dark magic, Olivia. Extremely powerful dark magic. Very few witches and wizards can perform this. The Dark Lord knows how, and he taught Bellatrix how, so she's going to be the one performing this ceremony. I mean, I'm pretty sure Dumbledore doesn't even know how to do this."

"So, what will happen during the ceremony?" I asked, starting to shudder.

Regulus thought for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek. "I'm not really sure how it works, to be perfectly honest. I've never seen one performed, at least. But I've heard them talking about it when I'm here. You know, preparing for when they brought you here. Sorry, by the way," he added.

"What are you sorry for?" I asked, giving him a confused look.

Regulus sighed. "For not warning you. I wanted to—I really did. But there were always Death Eaters with me, and I knew Sirius would murder me if I got anywhere close to you. I tried to leave you a note or something, telling you they were planning on taking you from King's Cross, but I never got the chance."

I smiled at him. "It's not your fault, Regulus. You didn't mean for this to happen. But, what's going to happen in this ceremony thing?"

Regulus gave me a look. "Bellatrix will mutter some incantations. Then, she'll slice the palm of your hand and the palm of the Dark Lord's hand. Your bloods will mix, and you'll be his from that point forward."

I took in a sharp breath, unsure of what to say. "What's his plan afterwards?" I eventually asked.

"He's going to fuck you," he said simply. "Fuck you and get you pregnant. Then, once you bear his child, he's going to make you a Death Eater. His most loyal servant," he said bitterly.

"What if I refuse?" I asked softly, dreading the answer.

"He'll kill you without even thinking twice."

"But…I thought he was in love with me?"

"No, he's not. The Dark Lord does not know love. He never has, and he never will. He's destroyed his soul too much to ever feel love or compassion for anyone or anything. So trust me, he won't care about killing you."

"He's destroyed his soul?" I asked. "How would he manage to do that?"

"Olivia, are you living under a rock? Don't you know how many people he's murdered? He's committed so many horrible acts of violence, he's no longer really a person. If you saw a picture of him back in school, he looks nothing like he does now."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I murmured. "He has done a lot of horrible things. But Reg, how are we going to get out of here? There's a ton of Death Eaters ready to seize me should I even think about escaping."

"I have a plan. Listen closely, because I'm only going to say thins once." He bent his head forward as he began whispering the plan in my ear.

SPOV

"God damn it!" I shouted, kicking my trunk aside and collapsing onto my bed. How could I not have done anything to stop it from happening? I saw those bastards walking towards her, and all I could think to do was shout her name. Some boyfriend I am.

The door to my room burst open, and James and Lily were standing there, both looking terrified. Behind them, Wormtail, Claire and Moony walked in. The five of them took a seat on the edge of my bed, not saying a word.

I knew the same thought was running through all our minds: _was Olivia still alive, or was she already dead?_

I shook my head, forcing that thought out of my brain. No, she had to still be alive. She just had to. We're getting married. We're going to start a family and have a bunch of beautiful children. She has to make it back alive. She just has to!

I heard a sob, and turned to look at Lily. She had her head resting on James' shoulder as tears were trickling down her face. It killed me to know Olivia could be crying right now, and I wasn't there to comfort her.

"Shh Lils," James soothed. "It'll be all right. Olivia's tough. She's a fighter. She made it a year on the run and being guarded by a spy. I'm sure she'll make it back fine. She's not going to give up. She'll make it back alive. I know she will."

I glanced over at Moony and Claire, and saw their hands touching, fingers entwined. She was shaking slightly, but Moony put an arm around her to calm her down.

"Fuck!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. I started pacing back and forth, just to have something to do. I couldn't just sit here while Prongs and Moony comforted their girlfriends, not knowing where mine was, or if she was even alive.

What if he'd killed her already, I'd never get to see her again? Never get to marry her, hold her, touch her, kiss her, grow old with her. She had to be okay, she just had to.

"Sirius, it will be okay," a soft voice said, placing their hand on my shoulder. I turned around, ready to snap and yell, but saw Claire standing there. She had always been very level-headed during crises. She was from Ravenclaw, after all.

"How can you know that?" I muttered/ "How can you know she isn't dead already?"

"Because he doesn't want her dead," she said simply. "If you remember everything Olivia told us, she said that You-Know-Who lusted for her. So he's not going to take her just to kill her."

"But that means that bastard wants to sleep with her," I said murderously, my fists clenching.

"Padfoot, relax!" came Prongs' stern voice. "We're all upset, and we don't need you here freaking out. All we need to do is think of a way we can help get her back."

"He's right," Remus said, standing up. Claire was still standing next to me, her hand still resting on my shoulder. "We need to go help Dumbledore and the rest of the Order. This is what they do, after all. Come on, guys," he said, walking out of the room, Peter, James, and Lily following him. Claire and I remained in the room.

"I'll stay here with you as long as you want," she murmured. "You need me more than he does right now, and he knows that. But Sirius, I think you should go to the Order meeting instead of sitting up here, worrying. Come on," she said, slipping her hand into mine, pulling me out of the room. I willing went with her, Olivia in my mind. Was she okay? Or were our efforts to find her useless?

OPOV

"Reg, are you sure about this?" I asked for the fiftieth time. What he was doing—it was suicide.

"Olivia, I'm certain, so stop asking me. You just need to stick with me, okay? Do exactly what I tell you to do, and you'll be fine. I promise. I'll get you back to Sirius."

"When will you go?" I asked, referring to his part in the plan.

"Tomorrow. Kreacher knows where it is, and he'll do anything I ask. The Dark Lord won't know what hit him. But remember, you have to keep this a secret. You can't tell anyone what I told you. If you do, all our efforts will be useless."

"I know," I whispered.

"One more thing," he muttered, reaching into his robe and pulling out a piece of parchment. "Can you give this to Vera? You know…after. I don't want her to think I just left her, and she might not believe you when you go to her. This will convince her. And…could you maybe look after her? Just until the war is over. Have Dumbledore put her in protection or something, because He'll come after her, I know it."

"Of course," I murmured. "After what you're doing for us, I'd do anything for you, Regulus."

He nodded once, slipping a ring out of his pocket. "Put this on," he muttered. "It won't work without this."

I looked at the simple ring and slid it onto my middle finger, making a fist so it wouldn't fall off. Regulus slid a similar one on himself and took my hand in his as the door to the room opened.

"Master wants to see the Blood Traitor," Bellatrix snarled, looking at out clasped hands. Regulus released me at once and pushed me out the door. I knew it was part of the plan, but it still stung to have him treat me like this.

I was forced back into the room I arrived in, where all the Death Eaters were waiting for me, hungry looks on their faces. I had no idea what was planned for me out here, but I knew it wasn't good.

Bellatrix grabbed my hand and pulled me to where Voldemort was seated. There was an empty chair next to him, and Bellatrix forced me into the chair. I sat there, shaking, not knowing what to expect.

"My loyal servants!" Voldemort exclaimed, rising to his feet. Bellatrix jabbed me in the side, making me stand as well. "This really is a wonderful day. For, as you all know, it is the anniversary of my filthy Muggle father's death. And, as a bonus, today will also be my wedding day. And the conception of my heir. You all know Olivia," he said, smirking at me.

30 pairs of eyes looked at me, then went back to their leader.

"Now that we are all here, I'll ask Bellatrix to start the ceremony. Regulus!" he called. "Hold the Blood Traitor in place," he said, referring to me. I was shaking when Regulus reached me. He gently stroked my hip before shooting me a dirty look. _All part of the act_, I reminded myself.

Regulus forced me to face Voldemort and Bellatrix stood between the two of us. She opened her mouth to say something, but there was a loud explosion. I felt a hand—most likely Regulus'—force me onto the ground. I closed my eyes and stayed there, unsure of what to expect.

JamesPOV

This was not good.

Moony, Wormtail, Lils, and I were all seated around the kitchen table at my house, listening to Order members speak about what we were going to do about Olivia being taken right in front of our eyes. Claire and Pads still weren't here, but I knew she was trying to get him to relax before he came down.

"Albus, it's no use!" one of the members said, slamming his fist onto the table. "It's been hours, and we're no closer to finding out where she is. It's probably too late. He'll have killed her."

"But he doesn't want to kill her," Dumbledore said softly. "No, listen to me, Benjy!" he snapped at the man. He instantly shut up and glared at Dumbledore. "I know what he wants."

"You _know_ what he wants?" Benjy asked skeptically. "How could anyone know what that madman wants?"

"Would you shut your trap, Fenwick, and listen to Dumbledore?" a voice growled. I looked in the corner and saw Mad-Eye Moody, my (hopefully) future boss sitting here. Moody ran the Auror program, and assuming I got the required N.E.W.T.s, I'd be training under him soon. "We've been tracking the Death Eaters for over a year now. Voldemort wants the girl so she can bear him an heir. He's not going to kill her a few hours after finally getting her."

"An heir?" Lily asked softly. Everyone at the table turned to look at her, myself included. "You mean, a child?" she whispered.

Dumbledore nodded. "That's what all our information is telling us. Voldemort wants Olivia because he thinks she'll produce the best heir, in his mind. No one knows why he thinks she will, but he does. Our information says he's planning on performing a very dark ritual, binding her to him forever."

"You mean a marriage?" an angry voice snapped. I glanced behind me and saw Sirius and Claire had joined the group. "A marriage that would bind them together? She's my fiancée!"

"Sirius, calm down," Dumbledore said calmly.

"He can't marry her!" he shouted, looking around the room murderously.

"Black, shut your trap and sit down," Moody growled. "You don't know what's going on, so be quiet until you do." Sirius still looked angry, but sunk into a seat, Claire sitting next to him. "Go on, Albus."

"Thank you, Alastor. As I was saying, there is a ritual planned to bind Miss Parker to Voldemort forever." There was a shudder among everyone as Dumbledore said Voldemort's name. "This isn't a marriage—no, it's much more powerful."

"More powerful?" Emmeline Vance asked, looking worried. "How is that possible?"

"What Lord Voldemort plans to do is bind Olivia to himself permanently. He will always be able to feel her and know where she is, no matter what protections are around her. She will never be safe once the ritual is performed."

"We have to stop it from happening, then!" Frank Longbottom said, rising from the table. "Albus, we have to find her and save her before he can do this."

"We're trying, Frank. But I have no idea where she is."

"What about Riddle Mansion?" someone suggested. "I mean, he used to live there, and that house is pretty grand. Maybe he wanted to do it there?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, I don't think so. He never lived there—that was his father's house. And he hated his father. He was more proud of being a Gaunt than of anything else."

"Well, is there a House of Gaunt somewhere?" I asked. "Maybe he'd take her there."

"There…there is a shack, actually," Dumbledore said, thinking deeply. "It would be foolish, but it would make sense. Caradoc! You, Edgar, and the Longbottom's are going on a mission. I want you to go to the House of Gaunt and see if Olivia is there. If you see anyone around the house, come back here immediately, and we'll send the entire Order. We need to get her back, understand?"

Alice Longbottom nodded. The four of them prepared to Apparate when there was a loud crash in the living area of my house. I heard a loud gasping sound and watched as Mum rushed out of the room to see what it was.

"Albus! Albus, you need to come here right away! It's Olivia!"

Olivia? I looked over and saw Padfoot's eyes widen. Me, Lily, Pads, Moony, Wormtail, and Claire rushed into the room, wondering what we would find.

OPOV

"Olivia, get up!" Regulus groaned, yanking on my arm. The entire shack was filled with smoke, and I couldn't see a thing.

"Reg, what's going on?" I asked, looking around. I saw Bellatrix looking right at me, but she didn't really appear to notice that I was moving. She didn't even notice that Regulus was helping me. "It worked?" I asked, sounding excited.

"It did!" he laughed. I leaped into his arms and he swung me around, excited. "Olivia, you have to get out of here now. I don't know how long this is going to last. I only tried it once before, and everyone regained consciousness a minute later, but that was with a smaller group."

"What spell did you even use?" I asked.

"Independimenta Maxima, but that's not the point. Olivia, go to Potter Manor. Go now, because if they all gain consciousness again, I can't protect you."

"Reg, come with me," I said, reaching for his hand. "We can protect you. You can tell Dumbledore what you told me, and we can all figure out a way so that no one has to die. You and Sirius can make up, and you'll all be a happy family again."

"Livs, I—"

We were interrupted by a rustling sound. I turned around and was horrified to see some of the Death Eaters starting to come out of their frozen state.

"Go!" he hissed, shoving me as he pretended to notice me. "She's escaping!" he called to his other Death Eaters, putting on the act so they wouldn't realize he'd betrayed them all.

_Potter Manor…Potter Manor...Potter Manor_ I thought to myself, imagining myself there.

"Stop her!" I hear Bellatrix shriek, but I was already turning on the spot. I kept imagining myself at the Manor with Sirius, James, and everyone else. I gasped as there was a sharp pain in my side and collapsed on the floor, no idea where I was.

SPOV

"Olivia!" I shouted, rushing over to my fiancée. She was lying on the ground of the Potter's living area, bleeding from the hip. She was gasping for air and had a pained expression on her face. I saw the unmistakable dagger of my cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, sticking out of her hip. I bent down and carefully pulled it out, placing it on the ground. I sat down and pulled her into my arms, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Sirius," she gasped, wincing in pain.

"Shh, it's okay love," I soothed, my voice shaking. "Everything is going to be okay, I promise. You're here and alive. That's all that matters."

"Regulus. He…he…saved me," she moaned, shuddering. I moved my hand down to her hip and felt the amount of blood that was gushing out. We needed to fix her now, or she was going to die.

"Dumbledore!" I shouted, turning my head and showing him my bloody hand. "We need something now!"

"Minerva, go get Poppy!" he said in a panicked tone. Professor McGonagall disappeared, going to get Madam Pomfrey to save Olivia. I just hoped she wasn't too late.

I loved down and saw Olivia's eyes starting to flutter shut. "Oh no you don't!" I said angrily. "Don't you dare leave me like this. Don't you die here. Olivia, you have to fight! Stay alive, for me!" I said, about to lose it. Behind me, I heard Claire and Lily sobbing as they watched the life of their best friend leave her body. "Please Olivia! I love you!"

"I love you too," she whispered as her eyes slowly closed, no longer seeing.


	20. A Quickie

Chapter 19: A Quickie

OPOV

I opened my eyes and saw dark blue walls surrounding me. I was lying in a large bed by myself, surrounded by blankets. I knew exactly where I was—I was in Sirius' room at the Potters'. I tried to sit up, but there was a sharp pain in my side. I gasped loudly, and a set of hands found their way to my shoulders, forcing me back onto the bed.

"Easy, now, love," came Sirius' wonderful voice. The mattress shifted as he took a seat on it, keeping his hands on me. "You need to rest. The Healers said you almost died." He looked at me, and I saw the fear still in his eyes.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I don't really know. All I know is you Apparated into the Potters' living area with a dagger in your hip and gushing blood. Dumbledore managed to summon some healers here, who fixed you up before you died from blood loss." He bushed a lock of hair away from my face. "Where were you, love?"

I exhaled slowly, mainly because it hurt to breathe in and out, then turned my face to look at Sirius. "I was—I don't even know where the hell I was to be honest. It was some small hut in the middle of nowhere, and all the Death Eaters were there. And He was there, too. They were about to perform some ceremony before I escaped."

"How?" he asked, stroking my cheek gently with his finger. "If there were all those Death Eaters and Voldemort there, how on earth did you manage to get out alive?"

"Your brother," I said softly. "Regulus. He came up with a plan and got me out of there."

"He did?" Sirius asked, looking stunned.

I nodded. "He gave me this," I said, sliding the ring off my finger and pressing it into his hand. "He came up with some spell that would freeze everyone except those wearing this. He had one for himself too."

"Okay, so he stunned everyone in the room. That still doesn't explain how you ended up with a dagger in your hip."

"Oh, that," I muttered, looking down at the bandage over my left. "I tried to convince Reg to come with me, and everyone started waking up before I could leave. Bellatrix saw me while I was Disapperating, and she threw her dagger at me. I guess it hit me," I said, shrugging.

Sirius shook his head before taking my hand in his. "I'll never let her get close to you again. I swear, I'll protect you, Olivia. No one will ever hurt you like this again." He kissed the top of my head. I shifted slightly before letting out a moan—everything seemed to hurt when I moved. "Love, relax. Just rest here until you're all better."

"But what about the Order of the Phoenix and becoming members?" I asked thickly, sleep starting to overcome me.

Sirius chuckled. "Well, you being kidnapped sort of overshadowed the whole being sworn in as members. Once you're feeling better, we'll all join. I don't want you going on missions while you're still injured, anyways."

"Sirius, what are we going to do about this?" I sighed. "He has all his Death Eaters looking for me, and they're willing to kill anyone who gets in their way, meaning you, Lily, James, Remus, Claire, and Peter, plus all the members of the Order of the Phoenix and the Aurors. I can't have so many people putting their lives on the line because of me."

"Love, calm down," he soothed, smoothing my hair. "No one is being forced to protect you—well, we might have said something to Peter, but that's because he's a coward and needed some motivation. They're all doing it because they love and care about you. Do you know what it would do to us if something happened to you? I almost lost my mind earlier because I didn't know if you were going to come back when they took you. I was already making plans about what I was going to do if they found your body."

"Plans?" I asked, giving him a look.

"Well, sure. I was going to take out as many Death Eaters as I could before they managed to kill me. I wasn't just going to let them take you without consequence. I don't think you realize how much you mean to me. Olivia, you're the only girl for me. I can't ever see myself being with anyone but you. I know it sounds silly, but, you're like my soul mate."

I laughed softly. "Have you been reading those silly romance novels again?" I teased.

"I'm not kidding," he said, rubbing my back gently. "I really do feel that way about you, you know. About us in general. That we're supposed to be together, and not with anyone else. I don't think the world would allow us to be with anyone else for an extended period of time."

I just looked up at him and shook my head. "You're full of shit, you know that?" I teased, but there was a smile on my face. "I love you for that."

"Hey Liv?" he asked, looking down at me, a nervous look on his face.

"What is it, love?" I asked, sounding slightly concerned. "What's wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just had an idea. For us. To help solve our problem, possibly."

"I wasn't aware we had a problem. Please, enlighten me."

"I meant the problem with Voldemort and him attempting to marry you," he said, rolling his eyes. That was another thing I loved about Sirius—he had no qualms about saying You-Know-who's name. It was like he wasn't even scared.

"Well, what's your solution, then?" I asked.

"We get married," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"We are getting married," I reminded him, holding up my left hand, showing him the ring he'd given me. "We're going to get married and start a family and grow old together. We already decided this."

He laughed quietly. "Of course I remember. No, what I meant was, we get married now. As in tonight."

"Tonight?" I asked, completely thrown for a loop. I always had thought Lily and James would get married first, then us, then Remus and Claire. I thought we had another year or two before we were going to tie the knot, but I could see where he was coming from. The only way to keep me safe from You-Know-Who marrying me was to marry me himself. Today.

"You don't want to," he guessed, his face falling a little. I guess he did want to get married now. I never would have expected this of Sirius Black, ladies man.

"I didn't say that," I said. "I guess it does make sense with everything going on around me and the whole attempted forced marriage." I grinned at him. "Okay. Let's do it."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Never been more sure about anything in my life. Why don't we go down at tell everyone so we can get ready quickly. We only have a few hours to pull this together, and I still need to find a wedding dress. Luckily Alice is already here, but I need to get my bridesmaids' dresses." I stood up, taking his hand, and the two of us made our way down the stairs into the living area where the Order members were sitting, discussing.

"Ah, Olivia," Dumbledore greeted me, rising to his feet and patting my hand lightly. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm better, sir. Thank you." I glanced over at Sirius as he gently squeezed me hand. "Professor Dumbledore sir? Sirius and I had a…well, a sort of assignment for the members of the Order."

"First, as you are no longer my pupil, it seems ridiculous for you to give me such a lengthy title. Albus will suffice from this point forward. And an assignment?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Well, Olivia, we're listening," he said, leaning forward, his eyes on me.

I glanced at Sirius again, who grinned at me and nodded his head slightly, giving me the go ahead to tell them our idea. I looked from Dumbledore to Alice and Frank Longbottom to Mad-Eye to all my friends, all of whom were staring at me and Sirius with curious expressions on their faces. I took a deep breath before speaking. "So, you know how You-Know-Who wants to bind himself to me and fuck me and make me give him a kid?" I asked, not caring that I just said fuck in front of my former headmaster and Sirius' future boss.

They all gave me a look, but nodded, not surprised by my straightforward approach to things. Sirius and Remus said it was part of my charm. James said it was what made me the perfect girl for Sirius.

"Well, Sirius had an idea," I said, elbowing him slightly in the side. "He was thinking I should get married soon instead."

Dumbledore looked up at Sirius, stroking his chin as he thought. "You know, that's not a bad idea. It would definitely thwart some of his plans, and it would give Olivia some additional protection. So what are you thinking? Next weekend, perhaps?"

I shook my head. "After what happened today, we were thinking more like in a few hours."

"A few hours?" Lily asked. "But that's impossible, Liv. You don't have a dress, a cake, food, a place to have it, flowers…" She trailed off, frowning, but the smile stayed on my face.

"Mrs. Potter, do you think we could have it here?" I asked.

"Of course, Olivia. We have plenty of space in the back yard. I'll have James and the rest of the boys set up chairs and tables and any other furniture we would need. I'll also let everyone you want know what's happening. Get me a list, and I'll get them here," she promised.

"Perfect," I said. "Dumbledore, do you think you could get the House Elves at Hogwarts to prepare some food for us? And a wedding cake?"

"That's no problem. Minerva, could you head to the castle and give them the order?" he asked, turning to Professor McGonagall. She nodded once before Disapparating on the spot.

"Frank can provide music," Alice volunteered.

"Alice, be quiet," he muttered, his cheeks turning pink.

"No, you be quiet," she said. "Frank and a few of his friends from school formed a band, and they still practice. Trust me, they're over our house three times a week, and it's impossible for me to do anything," she laughed. "And since they never seem to play anywhere except in our basement, this would be the perfect place for them to show off their skills," she said, teasing her husband. "They're good, Olivia. I promise," she said, meeting my eyes.

"Well, beggars can't be choosers, anyways. Okay Frank, you and your band are hired. Think you can get the rest of the members and your instruments over here by five?" I asked.

He nodded his head. "Yeah, I can do that. Don't you worry, Olivia. We'll be the best wedding band you'll ever have."

I smiled once at him before turning to Alice. "Since your husband is taking care of music, do you think you could decorate the grounds and get some flowers, maybe?" I asked, hoping that wasn't too much.

"Olivia, it would be an honor," she said with a genuine smile. "I would love to decorate for your wedding."

"Thank you so much, Alice. Lily and Claire can help you. Right?" I asked, shooting a look at my best friends.

"We'd love to help, Alice," Lily said. Claire nodded in agreement. That took care of almost everything. Except what I, and my bridesmaids, were going to wear.

Dumbledore seemed to know what was on my mind—I swear, that man could read minds. "You still need a wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses, right?" he asked.

I nodded. "I already know what I want them to look like, too. We just need them made," I said, pulling a few pieces of parchment out of my pocket. On it, I had sketched the designs for what I wanted my wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses to look like. They were simple, but simple was what I was going for.

"As I recall, Andromeda Tonks and Molly Weasley are excellent dress makers, and quite quick when they have the aide of magic," he said, a twinkle in his eyes. "Alastor? Would you mind fetching them for me? Have them bring their families as well. The more guests, the merrier."

Mad-Eye nodded once before Disapperating, going to fetch the two women who would make me the best wedding dress I could get. Eventually, something hit me. "Sirius!" I hissed, turning towards him.

"What is it, love?" he asked, looking slightly worried.

"Rings! We don't have rings to exchange!"

His eyes widened as he realized this. "Don't worry about it, Livs. Padfoot is on the case." With a quick kiss on the cheek, he disappeared a moment later. I looked at the spot where he had just been, still very confused.

"Olivia?" a voice asked. I turned and saw Dumbledore standing beside me. "Who's going to marry you?" he asked.

"Marry us? Oh my gosh, I didn't even think about that," I said, starting to panic. We were going to have all these people here, and no one to perform the ceremony. "Maybe…I don't know!" I said, hyperventilating.

"Olivia, relax," Dumbledore ordered, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I can perform the ceremony."

"You can?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, nodding. "And I would be honored to marry you and Sirius. There is nothing that would make me happier than that."

"Thank you, Albus," I said, giving him a big hug. He looked a little taken aback, but he returned the hug a moment later.

"Sorry to break up this moment," came a voice. "But I need Olivia right now." I looked up and saw Mrs. Potter standing there, looking slightly stressed. "Do you have a list of people you want me to contact?" she asked.

"Oh, yes," I said, producing another piece of parchment. Luckily, Sirius and I had already come up with the guest list before we spontaneously decided to get married an hour ago. The only names conspicuously missing from the list were the majority of Sirius' family, which made me sad.

There was a popping sound, and Professor McGonagall appeared, a small smile on her face. "The elves are cooking as we speak, even constructing a marvelous wedding cake. When I told them it was for Olivia and Sirius' wedding, they seemed more than happy to help. I wonder why," she said, rolling her eyes at me. I laughed—it wasn't like no one knew Sirius and I, along with the other Marauders, spent most of our time in the kitchens, nicking food. The House Elves all knew us by name and favorite food.

There were three pops as Mad-Eye, Molly Weasley, and Andromeda Tonks appeared. "Where is the bride?" Molly asked, her eyes falling on me. She strolled up to me, whipping her wand out and producing a tape measure, which began measuring my body. "You have the drawings of the dress?" she asked my while Andromeda started conjuring different fabrics.

"Here," I said, handing her the parchment with the wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses on it.

"Dear, are you sure you don't want to lengthen your down?" she asked, frowning at the sketch.

"No, I'm sure," I said. "I want everything to be simple." Molly nodded and began having the scissors cut through the white fabric, forming the framework of my dress. I handed Andromeda the bridesmaid sketch, and she asked me to send Lily, Claire, and Alice in so she could measure them.

I trekked outside, where the three women were decorating the outside reception area with flowers, fountains, and twinkling lights in the sky. "Andromeda wants to see you three," I said, walking up to them.

"What for?" Alice called, not taking her eyes off the tree she was decorating.

"Bridesmaid dress measurements," I responded. "They're making the dresses now, and they need to know your sizes. It won't take that long," I said.

"Oh, alright," Alice muttered, stalking into the house, followed by Lily and Claire who were chattering excitedly. I heard a grunt and saw James and Reus, their arms burdened with chairs.

"Here, let me help you guys," I said, taking a chair each from Remus and James. We walked over and placed them in rows and a few around tables.

"How many people are coming to this thing?" Remus asked, looking at all the chairs.

"I don't know," I admitted. "It's such short notice. I doubt anyone except the Order members will show up." Secretly, I was fine with that. I didn't want a big event. I just wanted a small thing with me, Sirius, and our closest friends.

"LIV!" I heard someone shout. I looked back towards the house and saw Ellie and Leighton, my other two closest friends, running towards me with their boyfriends following closely behind. Suddenly, there were two pairs of arms around me and I was being lifted into the air by them.

"Hi, guys," I said, looking shocked at their excitement.

"You're getting married!" Ellie gushed, setting me back on the ground. "Are you excited? Nervous? Thinking it's the biggest mistake of your life?"

I laughed quietly. "Probably a cross between excited and nervous, but I'm definitely not thinking this is a giant mistake. This is something I know won't be a mistake."

"But…you two are getting married so fast. Don't you think you should wait at least a few months?" Leighton asked.

"We really can't," I muttered, not thinking about how that would sound.

"Oh my gosh, you _are_ pregnant!" Ellie exclaimed.

"Who's pregnant?" Lily asked, walking up to us after her dress fitting.

"Olivia!"

"Really?" she asked me, her eyes going to my flat stomach.

"No, of course not!" I said defensively. "I promise you I'm not pregnant."

"Then why the rush?" Ellie asked.

"We just didn't want to wait, I guess," I said, coming up with an excuse for my friends who didn't, and couldn't, know what was going on. "I want to be Mrs. Sirius Black as soon as I can."

"Olivia, people are starting to arrive," Claire said, walking back outside, her hair thrown up messily.

"You should start doing your hair and makeup," Lily suggested, looking at my messy hair and un-made up face.

Leighton sighed and took my hand. "Come on," she said, towing me towards the house. "I'll help you with hair and makeup." The two of us went upstairs and into Sirius' room, where he was straightening his tie. "Out," Leighton ordered him. "The bride needs to get ready, and you are no longer allowed to see her until the ceremony. Go downstairs and talk to James or something," she said, shoving him out the door and shutting it in his face, not listening to his protests.

"Was that really necessary?" I asked when she turned back to me.

"Of course!" she said with a smile. "The groom isn't supposed to see the bride 24 hours before the wedding. Since we don't _have_ 24 hours, three will have to suffice. It's one of those old wedding traditions. Like something old, new, borrowed, and blue," she said, rolling her eyes. "Now, let's get started…"

xxxxxxxx

SPOV

"You ready, mate?" James asked me as we made our way outside. We waited in the back of the reception area where Olivia and I were going to be married shortly.

"I think so," I said, shocking myself with my nervousness. I'd never been nervous before once in my life, and now I was. It was embarrassing, actually.

"Don't be nervous, Pads. If Olivia hasn't realized she can do better than you by now, she'll probably never realize it," James said, throwing an arm around my neck.

"Thanks, James. That makes me feel so much better," I said, glaring at him.

"Sirius, Olivia loves you and only you, so don't worry," Remus reassured me, patting me on the shoulder as he stood next to James, Peter on his other side.

"I can't believe I'm going to be married soon," I muttered, looking around at all the people here. There were all the order members, a pregnant Molly and Arthur Weasley with their three sons, my cousin Andromeda Tonks with her husband Ted, the entire Auror department, all the Hogwarts (House Elves included), the Gryffindor Quidditch team, all the kids in our year from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, my uncle Alphard, and—my father?

"Pads, is that your dad?" James asked, glancing at my father, who was sitting next to Uncle Alphard. That was something I never thought I'd see—Uncle Alphard had been disowned and blasted off the family tree after he gave me some gold when I ran away. My mother never forgave him for that.

"I think it is," I said, looking at him. My father was looking old. And not too good. Maybe that was why he'd come—come to see me again before he kicked the bucket. I was about to go over to him when Alice, Lily, and Claire walked over to us. They were all in matching red sundresses with white sandals, carrying bouquets of white roses. Lily came up and took James' arm, Claire took Remus', and Alice took Peter's.

Frank's band struck up a gentle tune as Nymphadora Tonks, Andromeda's five-year-old daughter went down the aisle, dropping rose petals behind her. I, along with my groomsmen and the bridesmaids, walked down the aisle towards the front after her, where Dumbledore was standing in brilliant robes of dark blue.

Everyone turned to the back as Olivia, led by Mad-Eye Moody, walked down the aisle. I'd never seen her look more beautiful in my life. She was in a short strapless white dress with small ruffles, a veil covering her face, and white sandals. Her dark locks were wavy and pulled back into a messy bun. She gave Mad-Eye a hug before handing her bouquet of white and pink roses to Lily, then turned to face me.

"Hi," she whispered, a grin on her face.

"Hi," I whispered back, taking her hand as Dumbledore started the ceremony. Olivia and I didn't really pay attention—we spent most of the time making faces at each other, then turning away so we wouldn't break into laughter. Dumbledore didn't seem to care. I even thought I heard him chuckle a few times.

I wound our fingers together. She turned to me and quickly stuck her tongue out as Dumbledore talked about the importance of marriage. I rolled my eyes at her as she silently shook with laughter. Her eyes met mine and she mouthed "I love you," to me. I grinned at her and winked at her.

"Do you have the rings?" he asked us. James, my best man, nodded and pulled the rings I had gotten earlier out of his pocket, both of them still in the box. He handed them to Dumbledore, who nodded and handed my ring to Olivia, and Olivia's ring to me. "Sirius and Olivia, please face each other."

Olivia and I released each other's hands and turned towards one another. She grinned at me and blew me a kiss. I winked at her again as I turned her ring over and over in my hand.

"Olivia, place the ring on Sirius while saying, 'Sirius Black, I pledge myself to you for all eternity.'"

Olivia looked at me and took my hand, sliding the ring onto my finger. "Sirius Black, I pledge myself to you for all eternity," she murmured.

"Sirius, please do the same thing to Olivia," Dumbledore instructed.

I took Olivia's small hand in mine and took the ring, sliding it onto her finger. "Olivia Parker, I pledge myself to you for all eternity." Once the ring was on, I pulled her hand up and kissed the back of it.

Dumbledore smiled at us before lifting his wand in the air, shooting something out of the end of it, letting rose petals shower down on us. "Let it be known that these two souls are joined for all eternity, forsaking all others and staying faithful to one another as long as they shall live. Sirius and Olivia, you are now man and wife. Please, kiss."

Olivia grinned mischievously at me before throwing her arms around my neck and pulling me close, crashing her lips into mine and pressing her body against mine. She wound her fingers in my hair and the kiss started getting a little inappropriate for public.

James cleared his throat and Olivia and I separated, both our faces a little redder than they had been a moment ago. Everyone was standing and applauding as I took Olivia's hand and they two of us walked down the aisle into the house where we spend time with each other for a little bit before rejoining everyone.

Once we were inside, Olivia pulled me up the stairs and into my—now our—room and pushed me onto the bed, climbing on top of me and yanking off my tie.

"Liv, what are you doing?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at her. "We have to go back outside in a moment, and I'd rather it not be obvious by our disheveled appearance that we just screwed in here."

She pouted for a moment before grinning, sliding her hands down my body and sliding the zipper on my pants down.

"Olivia…" I warned, giving her a look. "Later. Not now."

"Oh, we're not going to fuck," she said simply, slowly climbing down me so she was kneeling in between my legs. Her hand brushed past my crotch gently, and I went hard. "There we go," she said happily, pulling me out while I was still lying down, unsure of what she was planning. With Olivia, I never knew what to expect.

She licked her lips before bending her head forward, opening her mouth and exhaling her hot breath onto me. I looked up at her, stunned. Olivia hated giving blow jobs. She said they made her feel dirty. Ever since I'd asked her out in fifth year, she'd only given me one, and that ended with her in tears. But now, she was willingly about to give me one without me even asking.

"Olivia," I groaned weakly, not wanting her to do anything she didn't feel comfortable doing, but not wanting her to stop either.

She pulled back slightly to look at me. "Sirius, shut up," she said, and then her mouth was on me, her tongue swirling around. She started sucking on me, her fingers massaging my inner thighs. She pulled back, her tongue licking the tip of me. I moved my hands down, carefully winding them in her hair, but trying not to mess up the bun in her hair.

She sucked more, pulling me deeper into her mouth with her tongue so the tip of me was near the back of her throat. Her hands started inching towards the inside of my pelvis until her right hand was resting at the base of my length, stroking the exposed skin softly.

I let out a moan—I couldn't help it. Her mouth on me just felt so good. "Oh, Olivia," I groaned, involuntarily jutting my hips up and forcing more of myself into her tiny mouth. I was about to apologize until her eyes met mine, and I knew she didn't care one bit. Her tongue whipped around me while I felt her hot breath surrounding my length in her mouth.

I felt the pressure starting to build. I needed to warn her or do something. I couldn't just come in her mouth like this. It wasn't right. I started to pull my hips away from her, but she clamped her lips around me tighter, keeping most of me in her mouth.

"Olivia," I said in a strained voice. "Olivia, let go. I'm about to coooooome," I said, extending the last word when she slid her lips up, then down my entire length.

I saw the sparkle in her eyes that I loved—the sparkle that appeared when she did exceptionally well on an exam or when she saw Snape alone in the halls, making him an easy target for her to prank. It was the 'I'm excited and thrilled' sparkle.

She kept sucking on me slowly, letting out a moan in the back of her throat as her hands stroked my, slowly and gently. I felt the pressure building up more and more.

"Olivia, let me go," I moaned weakly. "I'm serious."

She pulled her mouth off me and locked her eyes with mine. "I know you're Sirius," she teased before wrapping her mouth around my length again. When her hot breath surrounded me for the second time, I couldn't contain myself anymore, and I exploded in her mouth.

I looked at her, anxious to see what she was going to do. To my utter amazement, she swallowed and licked her lips. "Yum, salty," she whispered, crawling up next to me and lying down on the bed, snuggling in my arms.

"Thank you," I whispered, pressing my lips against her forehead as I tried to slow my breathing down a bit before we rejoined everyone.

"I love you," she murmured, her small hand gently stroking my chest. "So much. You're the most important person in my life now, Mr. Black."

"As are you in mine, Mrs. Black," I said, grinning down at her.

"I love hearing you call me that," she giggled. "Think we have time for a quickie before we have to go back down to see everyone?"

"No. I think they're probably looking for us now," I said, sitting up and stuffing my now limp member back in my pants, zipping them up and retying my tie around my neck. "Besides, we have all night for that." I bent over and pressed my lips against hers. "Let's go rejoin our guests love. Besides, it's not a wedding without the bride and groom, right?"

I took her hand, and the two of us headed downstairs and back outside, where everyone applauded when they saw us. "Congrats, mate," James said, coming up to us and clapping me on the shoulder. Lily gave Olivia a hug, straightening her veil slightly.

Remus and Claire came up next, both of them enveloping Olivia into a giant hug, then shaking my hand, following James and Lily over to a table to get something to eat. Peter and Alice came next. Alice gave Olivia a giant hug and promised Frank would say hi later—once he took a break from playing with his band. Peter shook both our hands, but he seemed to give Olivia a look. Maybe it was just my imagination.

It seemed everyone wanted to congratulate us. From the Order members to our friends at Hogwarts to people I was pretty sure I'd never met before, everyone had nice things to say.

"Does this mean you and Olivia are my auntie and uncle now?" little Nymphadora asked me when she came up with her parents.

"No, Dora," Andromeda's husband, Ted, corrected her. "Sirius is your cousin, darling. Sorry," he said to me. "She kind of just says what's on her mind. You know what kids are like at this age."

"It's perfectly all right," Olivia said, bending down to entertain Nymphadora while I said hello to my favorite cousin.

"Congratulations, Sirius," Andy said, giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "She's a beauty, both inside and out. "You're a lucky man."

"I know I am," I said, gazing down at my _wife_, who was now chasing Dora around the yard, picking her up and tickling her, then setting her down and resuming the game.

"I think Dora may want to kidnap her, though," Ted chuckled, watching his daughter interact with Olivia. I could tell from here that Dora was fond of her. "So, you two going to give Dora a friend any time soon?" he asked.

"Ted!" Andy scolded. "Ignore him, Sirius. He's had kids on the mind ever since Dora was born. You and Olivia enjoy married life for a while. You don't need to rush into starting a family yet." She gave me another kiss before walking over to Olivia to fetch Dora and bring her over to get some food.

Olivia flitted back over to my side, kissing me softly as Mad-Eye approached up.

"Congratulations, Miss Par—I mean, Mrs. Black," he growled as she gave him a giant hug. He looked up at me, shaking my hand. "Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other, Black," he said.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"You, Potter and Evans. Becoming Aurors. You should be getting the owl soon, letting you know you're in. You'll be training under me. And don't think that because your wife happens to be one of my favorite people in the world that I'm going to go easy on you."

"I wouldn't want you to do that, Mad-Eye," Olivia chuckled. "I think you should be extra hard on him," she teased, wrapping her arms around my waist and leaning against me.

"Sounds like a plan. And Black? You hurt this girl, I'll rip you apart limb from limb. And I won't feel bad about it. Got it?"

"Understood, sir," I said, looking at my boss with a little fear in my eyes.

He laughed before looking at Olivia again. "You look beautiful, Mrs. Black. Remember," he said, turning his eyes to me. "Limb from limb." With that, he walked over to the group, pulling out his flask and taking a swig from it.

"That was…interesting," I said, unsure of how else to describe talking to my boss for the first time.

"Don't worry. Moody's a real sweetheart once you get to know him," she assured me.

"I bet he is," I muttered, staring at the back of him, not quite sure what to think about him. I saw two people walking towards us, and I took in a sharp breath.

My Uncle Alphard and my father were walking towards us, smiling and laughing with each other. This was odd—Dad hated Uncle Alphard. Had ever since he gave me money when I ran away from home.

"Dad?" I asked when they were standing in front of us.

"Hello, son," he said, looking at Olivia and I, a hesitant smile on his face.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in a clipped tone. "I didn't invite you."

"No, you're right," he said. "But your Uncle here told me about this, and I wanted to come. I wanted to see you, Sirius. And I wanted to meet your beautiful new wife," he said, turning to Olivia and taking her hand, kissing the back of it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," she said politely. She glanced over at me and I gave her a small smile.

"Dad, why did you come? You swore never to speak to me again after I left two years ago," I said, remembering the giant fight when I left Grimauld Place.

"Ah, that was more to please your mother," he said, waving it off. "She can be a bit of a tyrant, you know."

"You're telling me," I muttered.

My dad shook his head. "That's not the point. The point is, I know I'm not going to be around much longer, and I don't want to die, and not have made up with you. If I left this earth with you still hating my guts, well then I've done something horribly wrong. Sirius, can you ever forgive me?" he asked, extending a hand to me.

I looked at him for a moment. "Put your hand down," I said. He looked hurt as he lowered his hand.

"Sirius…" Olivia said, giving me a look. I ignored her and pulled my dad into a hug, forgetting all the things that had happened between us in the past.

I stepped back after a minute and put my arm around Olivia. "Dad, I'd like to formally introduce you to my wife, Olivia. Livs, this is my dad," I said, introducing the two of them. She smiled at him and leaned against me, patting my side.

After that, we headed over to everyone already enjoying the party. The food was already partially gone, so I grabbed plates for Olivia and myself, walking over to the table she was sitting at with James, Lily, Remus, Claire, Peter, and Alice.

"Really, congratulations you two," Remus said as I took a seat next to my wife. He was next to Olivia and he gave her a one armed hug as he continued eating. "We're all so happy for you." Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement.

"So, where did you two disappear to earlier?" James asked, a smirk on his lips.

"Oh, just inside," Olivia said, blushing slightly.

"_Just_ inside?" Prongs asked, looking her once over. "Because I came inside to look for you at one point and I didn't see you two anywhere. So I ventured upstairs and I heard some pretty strange noises coming from your room, mate," he said, giving us a knowing stare.

Olivia turned beet red and I gave James a glare. "Shut up, Prongs," I muttered under my breath, putting an arm around Olivia.

"'Oh, Olivia,'" he moaned, imitating me. I picked up the roll on my plate and chucked it at him. It hit him square in the chest, but it didn't wipe that stupid smirk off his smug face.

"Oh my gosh, Olivia!" Lily squealed. "Did you guys seriously go inside so you could make love?"

"No," she said defensively. "We didn't shag just now, I promise." Olivia couldn't lie for shit, so it's a good thing she was telling the truth now.

"Then what were you doing?" Prongs asked, still smirking at us.

"Mind your own dawn business, Prongs," I growled, pulling Olivia closer to me. She placed her hand on my knee, slowly inching it upwards until it rested on my inner thigh. "Stop," I hissed at her. I didn't know what had come over her today, but she was driving me crazy, but in a good way. "Not here," I whispered. She pouted for a moment before taking my hand. I kissed her lightly on the lips while James gagged behind us. Olivia let go of my hand and casually flipped him off.

Now I remember why I love her.


	21. No Pleasure Without Pain

Chapter 20: No Pleasure Without Pain

OPOV

I groaned softly and opened my eyes, wrapping the blanket around my naked body. I looked to my right and saw Sirius still sleeping, his arms around my waist.

The clothes we had been wearing last night were strewn on the floor, ripped off last night after we came back from dinner in Hogsmeade.

Carefully, I pulled Sirius' arms off me and slipped out of bed, grabbing his shirt off the floor and pulling it on over my body, doing the buttons to cover me up. I slipped on a pair of flip-flops and headed into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.

I looked around as I walked in. There were boxes everywhere, and the only things that were unpacked were the table, chairs, coffee pot, and bed.

Sirius and I stayed at the Potter's house for one day. In that one day, we realized how impossible it was for us to have any privacy there. Whenever we wanted time alone to spend together as a married couple, James decided that's when he wanted to be with us. I'm pretty sure he was doing it on purpose to mess with Sirius.

And then that afternoon, Mrs. Potter came into Sirius' room to collect his laundry, and found Sirius on top of me, both of us sans clothing. Basically, we decided we should probably get our own place after that.

We spent the next few days looking in all the wizarding villages. We tried Hogsmeade, but everything there was way overpriced. Next, we tried in Ottery St. Catchpole where Molly and Arthur Weasley lived, but there was nothing available. They suggested Tinsworth. They had a friend who lived there, and Molly said a lot of newly married couples lived there.

So we went there, and found the perfect cottage. It wasn't very big, but it was exactly what we wanted. A place we could call our own, with no one else there to constantly be interrupting up. Sirius jokingly suggested we perform a Fidelius charm so James couldn't find us, but I told him no.

James, Lily, and everyone else helped us move everything in, but we still hadn't unpacked much. It would take me a second to unpack if I used magic, but Sirius wouldn't allow it. He said it was all part of getting a new house—you had to unpack and move in the Muggle way, hence why James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter carried our couch in with their hands.

I stifled a yawn and opened up a box filled with plates, bowls, and cups, all wrapped in old copies of _The Daily Prophet_. Most of our things were actually stuff I had had my whole life. I had inherited them from my parents when they died, and the Ministry had been holding them for me until I left Hogwarts.

I flitted around the kitchen, unwrapping plates, then putting them away in the cabinets in our kitchen. I placed a bowl on the counter, then grabbed a box of cereal that was sitting next to our refrigerator. There was a cartoon leprechaun on the box that was grinning as I poured myself a bowl. I'd sent Sirius grocery shopping, and he'd come back with a bunch of junk. Around the kitchen, there were boxes of different Muggle children's cereal. I swear, my husband is five years old.

I heard a loud yawn behind me as I opened the fridge and grabbed the milk. I turned around and saw Sirius standing there in his boxers, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Mrs. Black," he greeted me sleepily.

"Morning, Mr. Black," I grinned, grabbing a spoon and starting to eat my cereal. I walked over to him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. He wound his arms around me and buried his face in my hair. Quickly, he lifted me off the ground and placed me on the counter, his hands on my hips.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him closer, setting my bowl of cereal next to me as Sirius started kissing my neck. I giggled softly when someone cleared their throat behind us. Sirius groaned and turned around, where he saw James leaning against our doorframe, smirking.

"Prongs, what the hell do you want?" he asked, leaning back and putting an arm around my waist, not caring that he was only in a pair of boxers.

"I know I'm not supposed to be bothering you this week since it's your 'honeymoon' or whatever, but I couldn't wait to tell you the big news."

"What's the big news, James?" I asked, looking curiously at him. We already knew he and Lily were in the Auror program, so I didn't know what else he could possibly be excited about.

"I asked Lily to marry me. And she said yes!" His face broke into a big goofy grin as what he said sunk in.

"James, that's wonderful!" I said, hopping off the counter and throwing my arms around his neck. "Congratulations."

"Thanks. I just can't believe she said yes," he choked out, still grinning from ear to ear.

"Nice going, mate," Sirius said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You need to marry her quick before Evans realizes she can do so much better than you," he chuckled.

"Yeah, we're getting married at the end of the summer. You'll be best man, of course," he said to my husband. "And Liv, Lily wants you to be her maid of honor."

"Me?" I asked. "Wouldn't she want her sister to do that?"

James shook his head. "Petunia's not even invited. So, you're maid of honor. Just thought I'd come and share the good news with you two. I'll leave and let you get back to your honeymoon now. See you two in a couple of days for wedding plans," he said, grinning at us as he walked out of our house and Apparated back to his parent's house.

"Wow, another wedding," I said, looking at Sirius after James left. "That's not that long after ours."

"I know," he said. "That means we got to get you pregnant before James and Lily start having kids," he said jokingly. "We have to beat Prongs and Lily, since they're probably going to have a better wedding since they'll have more time to plan it out."

"Oh, hush," I teased, pecking his lips lightly.

"But seriously, I do want to have kids with you," he said. "And I'd rather not wait too long, either," he added. "If that's okay with you."

I looked my husband in the eyes, grinning from ear to ear. "Of course that's fine with me. In fact, I—" I was cut off by a tapping at our window. There was a large, regal black owl with a letter attached to its leg. Sirius turned around and looked at it, a confused expression on his face.

"That's my family's owl. Why on earth would they be writing me?" He moved away from me, opening the window and pulling the letter off the owl before sending it on its way. He ripped open the envelope, pulling out a piece of parchment and beginning to read. I hopped off the counter and walked over to him, placing my arms around his waist. He put and arm around my shoulders, his expression going from confused to shocked.

"Love, what it is?" I asked, looking up at him with concern.

"It's Regulus," he choked out, dropping the letter on the floor and wrapping his arms around me, pulling me into a deep embrace.

"He's dead then," I said, knowing this day had been coming.

"How'd you know?" he asked, pulling back and looking at me.

"I knew this day was coming. I just didn't know when he was going to do it."

"Going to do what?" he asked.

"Leave the Death Eaters, of course," I said. "He said he was going to, and he knew he was going to die doing it," I said, remembering the conversation Reg and I had had before he helped me escape.

"Wait, you _knew_ this was going to happen, and you let him do it? You didn't try to stop him, or tell me so I could stop him, or at least try to save him?" he shouted, pulling his arms off me and glaring. "Olivia, how could you keep this from me? You're my _wife_!"

"Sirius, I'm sorry! I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen to me. And I wasn't allowed to tell anybody—he swore me to secrecy. I wanted to tell you. I did. But it wouldn't have made a difference. By the time you would have found him, it would have been too late."

"I can't believe you. You lied to me. You deliberately hid this from me. I can't trust you. Get out!"

"What?" I asked, looking at him with a confused expression.

"_Get out!_" he shouted, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me to the front door, opening it and pushing me out. He stormed inside, the reappeared a moment later, throwing a suitcase, a pile of clothes, and my purse out the door, slamming it in my face. I looked at our house stunned. Was he really throwing me out over this, after we'd only been married for a few days?

"Sirius?" I called hesitantly, lightly knocking on the door. Either he couldn't hear me, or he was ignoring me. I was going to go with him ignoring me. I stood up off the ground, shoving my clothes in my suitcase. I couldn't believe him—he was being completely ridiculous.

I didn't even know where to go, now. I couldn't go to James' or Remus'—they'd know something had happened since we'd ordered them not to disturb us this week. I could try Alice and Frank's, but they'd realize something was wrong. The only other place I could think of to go was Sirius' cousin, Andromeda.

I pulled out my wand and Apparated there quickly. I was out in the open and exposed now. If any Death Eaters were watching me, it would be easy to snatch me without a struggle.

I knocked on the door twice, looking around nervously. I hoped they were home—I didn't know where else I would go if they weren't.

The door opened and Andromeda was standing there, looking behind her. "Nymphadora Tonks! Those toys better be picked up by tonight or I am throwing them away, young lady!" She turned towards me, and looked stunned. "Olivia? What are you doing here, darling?"

"Sirius and I got into a fight, and he kicked me out. I'm sorry, but I couldn't think of anywhere else to go," I said as tears welled in my eyes. "I understand if you can't let me in—"

"Nonsense," she said, taking my arm and pulling me inside, flicking her wand once and sending my suitcase upstairs. "Why don't you head upstairs and take a shower and get changed?" she suggested. "You can even take a nap. You must be tired."

"Thanks, Andromeda," I said, giving her a hug. "You don't need to be so nice to me, you know. I don't deserve it."

"Nonsense. You're a sweet person, Olivia. You didn't deserve to be thrown out like yesterday's garbage by my cousin. Besides, he has a temper. Give him time to cool down, and he'll come looking for you, I promise," she said.

I gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, but I doubt it." I headed upstairs and went into the bathroom, turning on the shower and stripping off my clothes. I stepped into the warm water, letting it run down my body and sooth my aching muscles.

I reached over, grabbed Andromeda's vanilla shampoo, and poured some in my hand, scrubbing it into my hair. It wasn't my strawberry shampoo that Sirius loved, but it still smelled nice. Besides, who cared if it wasn't the one Sirius loved? He threw me out.

I shook my head, rinsing my dark curls clean, scrubbing my body with some sort of floral body wash. I didn't particularly like it, but beggars can't be choosers.

Once I was all clean, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a fluffy towel around my small body, quickly walking into the room where Andromeda had sent my stuff. I dried off and changed into a tank top and pair of sweat pants, tying my wet hair back in a rubber band. I laid down on the bed and pulled the covers around me, hoping when I woke up, it would all be a dream.

XXXXXXXX

SPOV

For five minutes, I seethed. Five minutes I cursed out Olivia and went over how she was a horrible person and I hated her. Five minutes I went over in my head how I made the biggest mistake of my life by marrying her.

Five minutes.

Then, I remembered how she was the most amazing woman I knew. How everything she did made me smile. How I loved her with every inch of my being. How I would never find someone like her again. How I was an idiot, and she was right—I wouldn't have been able to stop Regulus.

And how, in a moment of rage, I had thrown my wife out. My wife, who was being hunted by every Death Eater out there. How they could have been staking out our house and could have snatched her.

Panicking, I threw open the door, expecting to see Olivia sitting there, bawling her eyes out. She'd see me, slap me, scream at me, then we'd have the most amazing make up sex in the history of the world.

Instead, I saw nothing. No Olivia. No suitcase. Not even a shoe to show me there had been some kind of struggle and she'd been taken.

"Shit," I muttered aloud, kicking the potted fern next to our door over. "Fuck. Where the hell is she?" I paced back and forth a few times, thinking where she could have gone. Remus! He was her best friends. Maybe she went there.

I went back inside and quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, then Apparated to Remus' apartment, hoping to find Olivia there. I was too panicked that I didn't even bother knocking—I just walked right in. Bad idea.

Claire was lying on Remus' couch, her legs hanging over the edge, her shirt pushed up above her waist and her panties around her ankles. Remus' face was buried in her crotch while she was breathing heavily and moaning softly.

Remus looked up at me before glaring. "Padfoot! What the hell!" he shouted at me. Clair turned her head, spotted me, shoved her skirt over her lady bits, then turned bright red. She pulled her panties up then ran out of the room into Remus' bedroom.

"Sorry mate," I said with a grin. Remus didn't smile back.

"That's not funny. She's never going to let me touch her again thanks to you. Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" he asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, Moony. I wasn't thinking. I'm looking for Olivia. Have you seen her?"

He gave me an incredulous look. "No. Why the fuck would I have seen her? You two are on your honeymoon thing this week. Isn't she with you?"

"No," I admitted. "We got into a fight and I threw her out. And, I don't know where she went," I sighed.

"And you think she came here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You think she'd come here, really? Sirius, this is Olivia. Do you really think she'd want me or Claire or Lily or James to know you guys were in a fight a few days after you got married?"

"No," I admitted. "That would be the last thing she'd want," I sighed. "But I have no idea where she could be."

"Padfoot, this is Livy we're talking about. There's not many places she can go. No family, she's not going to go to any friends, and she'll pick someone she can trust to keep her safe—I wouldn't doubt if it was someone who was close to you."

I thought for a moment. "The only one I can think of would be Andy."

"Your cousin?" he asked. I nodded. "Well, it's worth a shot. Why don't you head over there and see if she went there."

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Moons," I said, shaking his hand. "Sorry about Claire," I said with a smirk.

He sighed. "It's fine. She'll get over it…eventually. She might not be able to look at you again, though," he said, sort of joking. "Don't worry about it—we'll be fine. Go find your wife," she said, shoving me towards the door as he headed back towards his room. "Claire Bear?" he called kindly as I Apparated outside of the Tonks' house.

I knocked three times on the door then took a step back, waiting for Ted or Andy to open the door. I wasn't expecting Nymphodora, my little cousin, to greet me.

"Mommy!" she called, running back into the house. "Mommy! It's Sirius! He came here for Olivia. Can I go and get her?" she asked.

"Dora, hush," Andy said, scooping up her daughter and strolling towards the door. "Sirius? What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I think you know what I'm doing here. Where is she?" I asked, looking around.

Andy sighed. "You know, you're a real idiot. Why would you kick her out when you know every Death Eater is out looking for her? Do you want her dead?"

"No, I—"

"I mean, honestly Sirius. If they were watching your house, she could have been snatched and you would have never seen here again."

"I—"

"You're her husband! You're supposed to—"

"ANDROMEDA!" I shouted, just to get her to shut up. She looked at me, arching her eyebrow. "I know what I did was stupid. All I want is to go and apologize to my wife. Where is she?"

Andy sighed. "Upstairs in the guest room sleeping. But she doesn't want to see you."

"Well, I don't care," I said, climbing up the stairs. I walked to the end of the hall and peaked in the open door. On the bed in the room, Olivia was curled under the blankets, fast asleep. I smiled to myself, heading over and carefully climbing on the bed next to her.

She stirred slightly before opening her eyes and looking at me. "Sirius?" she whispered.

"Hey baby," I said softly. "It's me, love." I bent down and kissed her lightly on the forehead, brushing her hair out of her face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, pulling her head away from me. "You threw me out a few hours ago. You said you hated me and didn't want to see me again. I would assume that meant we're over, meaning you have no right to be lying next to me."

I sighed. "Love, I didn't mean it. I swear I didn't. I was just mad. And I said stupid things. Olivia, you're the most important thing to me. Losing you is the worst thing that could happen. I know what I did was awful, but if you could find it in your heart to forgive me, please," I begged. When it came to Olivia, I would do anything not to lose her.

Olivia looked at me before getting out of bed and walking over to the door. Wow, I'd really fucked things up. I arched an eyebrow as she paused, shut the door and locked it, then turned back to me. She sauntered back over to the bed, climbing back on and kissing me deeply.

My eyes widened for a moment—I'd expected slapping and yelling, but not this. I decided not to protest, instead gripping the base of her neck and kissing her back, flipping her over so she was lying face up on the bed.

"I missed you," I whispered before roughly kissing down her neck, pushing her tank top up the whole time. I pulled my lips away for a moment as I slid the shirt off, then went back to kissing her body, running my hands over her bra.

I slid a hand under her bra and started fingering her breast softly, running my fingers over it, my lips attacking her throat with my lips the entire time.

I felt Olivia's hands run down my chest and reach the button of my jeans. I slid her sweatpants down her legs as she got the button of my jeans open. I quickly got rid of them, throwing my shirt off in the process.

She looked up at me, breathing heavily. "I want you now," she moaned, sliding her thumbs into the waist of my boxers. I shivered slightly before pulling down her panties and getting rid of my boxers as well, hovering over her entrance before pushing in.

Olivia let out a small gasp as I entered her, arching her back and pressing her body closer to mine. I groaned and tilted my head back, staying still in her for a few moments. Slowly, I started thrusting into her gently, not wanting to hurt her at all.

"Sirius," she moaned. "Baby. Don't fucking hold back," she said, running her fingers over my shoulders.

I nodded once before moving my hips faster, thrusting in and out of her quickly. "How's—that—feel?" I muttered in between thrusts, ripping off her bra, which had still been on her, and roughly massaging her breasts.

"Oh, yes!" she cried, running her fingers down my chest lightly. "Oh god yes."

I grinned and kept up my pace, bending my head down and kissing her intensely on the lips. She wrapped her legs around my waist loosely, still allowing me to keep pushing in and out of her.

Olivia kissed back, wrapping her arms around my neck, keeping my face pressed against hers. I forced my tongue into her mouth and let it explore her mouth. I felt her teasingly bite down on my tongue before releasing it a moment later.

I chuckled into her mouth, continuing to move my lips against hers roughly as I kept pounding into her. My hands remained on her bare breasts, squeezing them tightly. I took her nipple in between my thumb and index finger, pinching it lightly, causing her to moan against my lips and arch her back, pressing her body even closer to mine.

She moved her hands from behind my neck to the front of my chest, dragging her nails down my skin hard. I pulled my lips off hers and let out a growl. "Fuck, that hurt!" I hissed at her. It had actually hurt, but it felt good at the same time.

Olivia laughed lightly. "No pleasure without pain, baby," she teased, breathing heavily.

"Oh, you want to do it that way?" I asked, leaning down and biting the skin on the side of her neck, tugging on it slightly.

"Fuck, Sirius!" she cried, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and digging her nails deep into my shoulder blades. I'd be scratched and scarred tomorrow, but it would be worth it.

"No pleasure without pain," I reminded her, kissing the place where I'd just bitten her. She laughed again, dragging her nails across my back, not bothering to be gentle anymore.

I felt my body starting to shudder, and knew I wasn't going to last much longer, especially not with her moaning and crying out in pleasure. "Baby, I can't hold on much longer," I panted, pushing deeper into her.

"Oh, Sirius!" she shrieked. That sent me over the edge. I felt my body let out a long shudder as I released deep into her. That, in turn, set her off, and she orgasmed. I felt her go tight around me as she pulled me even closer. I lay on top of her as her orgasm died out before pulling out and rolling off her, lying naked next to her on the bed.

God I loved this woman.


	22. Author's Note

OMG. I'm sosososo sorry I haven't updated in...forever. I've been super busy with school and such and just haven't had time. Plus, my computer is in the shop ATM and my computer doesn't have word. I'm in the computer lab doing this. So, I won't have a chance to write another chapter until break (the 15th). But after that, I WILL be writing. I promise. (This applies to any stories I'm currently working on). Thank you for understanding :)


	23. Another Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Sorry I haven't updated in almost a year. I've been very very busy with school and such. But the good news is, once my finals are over, I'm going to update all my stories. And I should be updating constantly for over a month. And I'm going to try during the next semester to. I'm very sorry I haven't updated anything, but I actually do promise to do it. My last final is the 13th of December, so I'll start writing after that.

~Laura


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